Cave Grave
by snewman1976
Summary: Booth and Brennan go to an unusual scene. Tragedy occurs. Please review so I know if I should go on. Everything is so much better in my head then when i get it out. New at this so be kind. Changed the rating from T to M to be safe.
1. Chapter 1

**Authors Note - Another idea in my head. This has the sniper from season 6 Jacob Broadsk y but not the confessions from Booth and Brennan previously. Hannah never existed. only my 2nd fan fic be kind and would love any reviews or ideas anyone might have. **

He heard it. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. He dropped his flashlight and ran to her, grabbing her arm and launching her as far as he could. The crashing sound echoed around him then he felt the pain.

He was not unaccustomed to pain, he had felt in many times before. Somehow this time was different. The pain was everywhere. Darkness, then visions of her flooded his sight. He had heard of seeing your life flash before your eyes, but he had never imagined it like this. He didn't see his family, his school days, his time in the military, all he was seeing was meaningful moments with her; both the good and the bad.

He could hear her voice. Slowly the visions were fading into darkness then a bright light engulfed him. Her voice drifted into nothingness. The only conscious thought he could muster was this must be it. The only comfort he felt was that it was the light he was seeing and not the fires of hell. He must have succeeded in his penance. The light was calling to him, but he couldn't help but turn away and look behind him, looking for the life he was leaving behind.


	2. Chapter 2

24 hours earlier…

The rain fell in sheets, to warm for snow, but cold enough to sink into your bones. Booth hated weather like this. Somehow the majority of all the cases shoved his were unpleasant in some sort of way. Not the fact that it was murder, that is an unpleasant thought to anyone, but more to the fact that the locations in which the bodies were left or the condition of the bodies when they were called in. For him it seemed the only thing that made it tolerable at times was her. He had done this job for a while before her, but it was different now. She made it different, better, not as dreaded as it were in the past

The only satisfaction was catching the depraved people who felt like they could take someone's life, for whatever reasons they felt were justified in their warped little brains. He had killed, all of it in the line of duty whether it be in the military or the FBI. Even then it weighed on his soul.

Nothing seemed to phase her most of the time. He was a bit jealous of this. There she was trudging through the mud focused on the remains they were heading for. Unknown number of skeletons found in a remote cave by some hikers who accidently stumbled on it trying to flee the storm. Why they didn't check the weather report before going out remained a mystery. Why anyone would want to go hiking in the dead of winter he couldn't quite comprehend either.

"In northern Thailand they found over 60 caves containing the remains from 2100 to 1200 years ago buried in limestone caves. This could be a crucial find of past civilizations in the area." Brennan stated.

She always managed to be fascinated by things normal people or maybe just him found mundane. A quality he found endearing and completely irritating at the same time. It's what made her bones.

"We will have to ship all the remains back to the Jefforsonian for further analysis." she went on.

"When don't we send everything back to the squints, Bones?" Booth answered with sarcasm dripping from his words. Brennan glanced at him but looked quickly away with the threat of a frown on her lips.

He wasn't feeling himself today. Christmas was in a few weeks and once again Parker would be away with his mom and her flavor of the week. He was supposed to have Parker for at least part of the day, but no marriage meant being at her mercy. Brennan as usual was planning a trip out of the country on some dig in Chile to date some find down there. Alone, Booth didn't like alone. He should be used to it by now but somehow he never could adjust. Brennan had said a few years back that her dad said being alone on Christmas meant that no one loved you. This ate at Booth, all he really wanted was to share his heart and life with those he cared for the most. He knew he shouldn't be taking his bitterness out on her but she was there.

"I'm sorry Bones, just not myself today." He said with his sincerity evident.

"That's ok. While no Native American tribes were inhabit in this area of Bath County before settlers many tribes would utilize the area for their hunting needs, it is probable that some of the indigenous people could have used it as a burial site."

Bones she could find a positive to anything. He was only here because National Parks were FBI jurisdiction. She seemed to believe this was some historic find, if it isn't a murderer's dump site then there is no reason for him to be here. Then she will be knee deep in bones and he has no one to spend time with leading up to the dreaded holiday. He knew squat about bones, history and just about anything that held her interest.

She is a beautiful, brilliant and talented scientist; he is just a streetwise over glorified cop. He couldn't help himself in being attracted to her. Partners… partners, he had to keep drilling that into his head. Other then sexually what interest could she possibly have in a big dumb cop? Why was he even thinking about this?

Lonely, he is just lonely that's it. Lonely and the main person that he occupied his time with was her, as his partner. He needed to date, that was all. Find another woman to occupy his time. His draw to her was just a manifestation of his lonely nights at home. Oh lord, he sounded like sweets. Ok. She is a beautiful woman and desire is just from chemicals in his brain secreted because humans and other mammals needed to procreate for survival. Great now he was sounding like her. Why does it have to be so difficult now? A few years ago he would just know it to just be that man sees woman, finds her beautiful and he approaches for a date, maybe more. Case… think about the case. Cop work, that was his thing.

There was the entrance of the cave just ahead. Focus, let Bones do her thing and they would be on their way back and out of this god forsaken rain. They crossed under the police tape and he followed her inside. At least it wasn't raining in there. He felt like an banana in the FBI rain slicker.

"We counted 12 skeletons so far, but we haven't covered the whole thing yet." Announced the ranger for the area. "I don't think anyone ever spotted this cave before the bushes in the area are usually pretty thick."

Brennan's face flashed various shades of red before she started her tirade. "This area has been tampered with hasn't it, someone moved the bones haven't they." Brennan seethed.

"uh… well… we figured with the weather being as nasty as it is and since they were all over the place that it would be easier…" the Ranger stammered.

" Do you know nothing about procedures to anything…" Brennan interrupted.

"Bones, calm down. Let me handle this." Booth soothed then turned to the ranger. "I am pretty sure during your training that you have been told when any type of scene whether crime, accident or anything else comes into your area you do not contaminate the scene or disturb evidence." Booth stated in his most authoritative tone. It felt good to be able to let some of his frustrations out.

The ranger shrunk down a bit. "Well we did map out where each set and numbered the sets with cones. We took photographs and some samples and correlated the numbers."

"What do you know about science? What do you know about our professions as scientists?" Silence from the ranger. "That's what I thought." She fumed.

Bones stormed to the group of moved bodies and knelt down at the first set of remains. "Female in her early teens, no signs of clothing evident." She moved on to the next set. "Male mid to late 20's no signs of clothing either." Again she moved. "Female looks like she was post menopausal. It's hard to say when they could have passed and been put here. They don't appear to be entirely of Native American descent. Cause of death is not clear as of yet. I need all the remains shipped back to the Lab. Also, get all these people out of here, I will finish searching myself."

"Bones its late, how 'bout if we just take more pictures, bag the bones and come back in the morning to finish up?" Boons asked slightly pleadingly.

She glared at him, but she had to agree she was a bit tired and there was a large amount of work. "Fine, but I want everyone out of here. No more contamination!"

Booth pulled the ranger aside they agreed to have someone stand guard over the site for the night, and that he and Bones would come back and relieve the officer. A few hours later Bones was satisfied and they headed for a hotel in the nearest town.


	3. Chapter 3

"Sorry sir, but we only have one room left. There is a family reunion going on and it's all we have." The clerk at the desk said.

Great this hole in the wall town has 1 hotel and it has one room. Booth felt like his head was going to explode.

"That's fine, we can share the room." Brennan piped up.

On the elevator Brennan could tell Booth was aggravated. "I don't see what the problem is, we are booth grown adults, sharing a room with a colleague isn't a big deal. It isn't like we haven't done it before. I will take the couch or floor, you can have the bed." She stated in her usual matter - of - fact tone.

He started to open his mouth but closed it again. Great she just thinks his discomfort is over sharing a room with a woman. She doesn't get that it is because the woman is her. He could share a room with any woman in the Bureau and it wouldn't be like this. Yeah he might be a bit self conscious or get a flick of something if he was a beautiful woman, but what he felt with her was much more than that.

He just needed a nice hot… well maybe cold shower and to get to sleep. That's what he needed.

They went in the room, it was quite nice. A small fireplace and wood along the outer wall, nice queen sized bed decorated with a frilly bed spread, table for 2 near the corner. Brennan seemed to admire the room; Booth thought it looked too much like a Honeymoon suite.

"Is it ok with you if I grab a shower first? I didn't realize that my body temperature dropped to such a dangerously low temperature." Brennan Asked

"Yeah… sure… no problem I'll start a fire up for us, I mean you." Both answered

"You sure you look quite close to hypothermia yourself, you should get out of these clothes at the least. Your soaking wet." She answered back

She stepped closer and reached for the buttons on his shirt. Booth felt like a schoolboy. As her fingers reached his chest he felt a twinge in his groin and an ache in his heart. Such a small gesture to her, purely scientific. For him the thoughts were of intimacy and longing, then sadness because he knew their motivations were so different.

He grabbed her hands a bit rougher then he should have. A burst of both relief and regret rushed through him as she jerked her hands from his.

"Stop! Sorry, I didn't mean… I can do it. Go take your shower. I can take care of myself and get the fire started." Booth stammered.

Brennan headed for the shower. She didn't understand Booth sometimes. Sometimes warm and funny, sometimes so disgruntled. She knows he is comfortable with his sexuality; the only real insecurities that seem apparent are in his parenting skills and the fact that he has killed people. She sometimes found her own thoughts drifting towards a sexual nature around him. She would quickly squash them as such thoughts could incubate to a problematic partnership. Relationships are irrational and short existing. She much preferred to have her sexual release and move on. Booth on the other hand desired the irrational thought of love. His own father abandoned him at the will of his grandfather, and he has had women in his life walk away. She couldn't comprehend why he would still hold onto such a belief, but that was just Booth.

While Brennan showered Booth started the fire. He looked through his go bag and discovered all he had brought with him was an extra suit, 2 sets of boxers, and a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. He hated sleeping in jeans. Mostly he slept in the buff but boxers also worked, but he couldn't do either in a room with Bones. One bed… no couch, he wasn't about to let her sleep on the hardwood floor but had no desire to do it himself either. He called down to see if they had any fold up cots but they were all out. Family reunion had them out of everything. Floor it is.

He called the local sporting goods store and requested some camping supplies and then a local store to pack up some food and water for a couple of days. Camping would be better than this. He needed to go out and find some extra clothes. He wondered if any stores would be open this late, he wanted that shower, he was freezing. He went ahead and called a store and asked, they were about to close so he ordered some items and the owner said he could pick them up first thing in the morning.

He heard the door to the bathroom open. Brennan walked out wearing a tiny silk robe tied around her slender waist. Her long shapely legs uncovered from upper thigh down. He jerked his eyes away and stared down at the ground. This was going to be worse then he thought. He grabbed his clothes and headed for the shower without a word.

He let the warm water wash over him. He tried to clear his mind but the site of her in her nightwear was etched on his brain. He felt embarrassed at the erection that developed. It got harder and harder to hide his emotions and desires from her. He decided he should relieve himself before exiting the shower. Hopefully it wouldn't be a reoccurring situation.

He dried off slipped on his boxers, Jeans and t-shirt. He walked out. She sat at the table in here robe typing away on her laptop. He felt his groin begin to stir and began reciting names of Saints in his head. This was going to be a long night. He opened a small closet to see 1 small blanket folded on the shelf. Great… he thought. Hard cold floor and one blanket. So much for a good night's sleep. He began laying the blanket on the floor.

"Booth what are you doing and what are you wearing? You're never going to be comfortable like that." Brennan stated.

"I'll be fine. Army, remember, I can sleep anywhere" he answered. While this was true he found that while not in a combat situation, comfort enhanced sleep. He could just think of this as another war.

"Don't be ridiculous. We are grown adults. Make yourself comfortable and we can share the bed. It isn't like I never saw you in your underwear or less before. Remember our quarantine in the lab and the time after you were shot?" She rebutted.

"Seriously I will sleep better this way." He only half lied. Neither situation screamed good night's sleep in his mind. In bed with her would stir desires and the floor enhance pain. He preferred the floor at this juncture.

"Fine well then I will sleep on the floor and you have the bed." Her stubbornness screamed evident.

"Bones, I am not letting you sleep on the floor."

"Well I'm not letting you either."

"Fine!" He walked over to the bed and plopped on the bed on top of the covers and stared at the ceiling.

"Booth, what is wrong with you? We are adults. We are friend… colleagues. We can share space. Just please for me make yourself comfortable and relax. We have a long couple days ahead of us. We need to make the best of it." Brennan reasoned.

"Just let me know when you're ready to sleep, I'll get comfortable then. " He knew there was no use arguing when she had something stuck in her head.

A few minutes later she switched off the lamp and moved to the bed. She removed her robe revealing a silk and lace baby doll nightgown. She folded down the covers and asked if he wanted the bed lamp on. He shook his head and she switched it off and climbed into bed and snuggled into the covers. Boones groin took another twitch and again he began reciting Saints again.

Booth unbuttoned his pants and removed them; He lied there in his boxers under the itchy wool blanket from the closet. He couldn't stand it anymore and through the blanket on the floor. A few moments later a chill waved through him and slightly shook the bed. Brennan felt his tremor, sat up and switched the light back on. Booth lurched trying to cover himself and fell off the side of the bed.

"Booth. I cannot believe you are being so childish. Please just act your age and get under these covers so we can both get some sleep."

"Your idea of grown up and mine may be a bit different right now, Bones." He returned.

"Whats that supposed to mean?" she asked.

"Nevermind!"

She yanked the blanket back and glared at him until he climbed back onto the bed and she threw the blanket over the both of them both and switched off the light again. She snuggled back in and he lied on his back on the edge of the bed staring at the ceiling. He could feel the warmth radiating off of her even from the gap between them. He listened as her breathing became slow and even. So many nights he had imagined him and her lying beside each other in bed, just not like this.

For what seemed like hours but was probably no longer than an hour Booth finally started to drift off. Brennan made a soft moan in her sleep and rolled over and her head came to rest on Booths arm as he lay with hands folded behind his head. Her soft breath drifted across his bicep and sent chills down his spine. She moved again snuggling up against his side. Booth had conflicting feelings. One side of him wanted to put his arm around him pulling her closer, the other wake her up and roll her over to her own side of the bed. He went with middle ground and stayed frozen where he was. Eventually he drifted off to sleep filled with dreams of her.


	4. Chapter 4

Booth woke early the next morning. Somewhere during the course of the night he and Brennan ended up in the spooning position. Her head on his bicep and her body pressed close to his with her bottom pressed into his groin. His other arm lay draped across her waist bent upwards. Her own arms were wrapped around his arm holding it to her chest. Booth was highly aware at the erection that had formed while he slept. This was not just the morning variety.

He froze. Afraid to move but also afraid she would discover the situation. He felt dirty, almost like a rapist taking advantage of her while in a state of vulnerability. Well maybe not that far but he certainly felt like a pervert. Saints think saints.

Brennan stirred slightly grinding into his pelvis. Sexual desire flooded through him. His brain screamed at him to pull her tightly to him, to nuzzle his lips across her neck, to turn her and kiss her with all the passion he had pent up inside.

She stirred again. Booth decided to feign sleep to avoid the awkwardness of the moment. Brennan's eyes fluttered open. She became highly aware of the warmth against her back and the added weight on her body. She felt a flutter in her abdomen. She became very sexually aroused. It had been a while since she engaged in sexual activity. If she thought that there partnership wouldn't change she would roll further into him. She would pull him to her and kiss him deeply. She had no doubts that she and Booth could have a strong sexual relationship. The only problem is that Booth is not capable of having such a relationship. He would require an emotional bond. He would require more then what she was capable of giving him, and she above all any other knew he deserved what he wanted. She could not hurt him by taking advantage of him being as vulnerable as she could feel on her buttocks that he was. She decided to feign sleep to enjoy the moment a bit longer. They anatomically fit together like 2 puzzle pieces.

They both laid there together pretending, enjoying the warmth of each other whilst having conflicting emotions. The alarm startled them both. Booth jerked backwards once again falling to the floor. Brennan couldn't help but giggle. Booth jumped to his feet doing his best to hide his erection and bolted for the bathroom. She thought back to a statement made by Hodgins about boys only changing on the outside after exiting school. That quality in Booth made him more endearing. As much as he experienced in life he still retained youthful properties.

Booth took a quick cold shower trying to extinguish his arousal. Emotional pain echoed through him. All these years of being partners and it just got harder and harder to work with her. It wasn't easy putting the smile on his faith and pretending to just think of her as his partner anymore. Sometimes he thought just walking away would be the best thing, but then he couldn't imagine his life without her in it even if it were just a working relationship.

In his haste to get to the bathroom he had forgotten his clothes, his boxers were in a soggy mess on the floor. The hotels towels were not large enough for his comfort so he poked his head out the door.

"Bones." He called out the door but had no response. "Bones" he called again. Nothing… He quietly opened the door a bit wider searching the room. Brennan was nowhere to be seen. He quickly walked out towards his clothes next to the bed wearing only the towel. He dropped it to the floor grabbed a fresh pair of boxers. He barely had one foot in when the door to the room opened and Brennan walked in. Booth turned a bright shade of crimson, lost his balance and for the 3rd time in less than 9 hours hit the floor of the room. Brennan stifled a giggle as she admired the view in front of her.

"Bones please?" Booth begged in a voice a few octaves higher than normal. Brennan quickly averted her eyes to save his embarrassment.

Brennan tried to get Booth into conversation on their way to breakfast but he just remained silent or gave small curt answers. Breakfast was silent, it lacked their usual banter. They got into Booth's truck and his eyes stayed forward as Brennan just stared out the side window. They pulled into a small parking lot and came to a stop.

"What are we doing here?" Brennan asked.

"I figured it would be easier and quicker if we just camped out at the site so you could protect the integrity of the rest of your remains." Booth answered. "Last night I ordered some supplies and equipment. Just need to pick it all up."

Brennan was almost surprised by this. She wasn't sure why because Booth was known for going out of his way to accommodate her and her feelings. He was the best partner anyone could ask for.

After a few more stops they had everything Booth had ordered and they headed out to the scene. The rain continued to fall heavily. The pair's usual banter wasn't happening today. The truck remained silent with the exception of the windshield wipers gliding across the glass. Brennan sat trying to figure out how to break through to Booth, and Booth battled internally about how to handle his feelings as well as the whole situation.

When they arrived on scene Booth relieved the officer and informed him they would be staying and he would call if and when they were needed again. He set up their camp near the entrance to the cave. The space away from her helped clear his mind a bit. He set up 2 large canopies to shelter the site and entrance, 2 small tents, a couple chairs, a small cooking area with an outdoor grill and the coolers of food and drinks. He grabbed a few bottles of water threw them into a bag and went to join Brennan inside.

"I'm done outside now I am at your mercy; just tell me what you want me to do." He exclaimed.

"Uh first call the lab and tell them cell service is virtually useless in here, they will have to wait until I contact them and to just leave messages if they find anything after they receive the remains shipped out last night. Then I can just use some help searching the area for additional remains." She answered while examining one of the skeletons left behind.

He went back out made the phone call and returned. "How big do you think this place is?" He asked.

"It looked pretty deep from what I saw yesterday. There's no telling how much we will find. Depending what we find today I may request the Jefforsonian to send out some interns to assist me, then you will be free to go do your thing." She answered.

Her words stung Booth a bit. Maybe she didn't enjoy working with him anymore. She has her thing he has his. Maybe his thoughts of finding another position weren't so far off the mark. It shouldn't be hard it isn't like he hasn't had many offers through the years. He was very good at his job. Getting away may be good for him. Maybe he could find someone to share his time with, someone who wanted him in return. Maybe he could find something that would give him more time with Parker. He came to the conclusion that on his vacation while he would be alone with clear mind he would strongly consider his options.


	5. Chapter 5

**Authors note.: I hope you all are enjoying the story. Thanks to all of you who have reviewed**

Back at the lab the team started unpacking the 10 sets of remains that Brennan had shipped. Wendell and Cam laid out the remains. Hodgins took samples and began tests on the many samples that arrived. Angela studied the skulls to see if there was anything she could do for analysis.

"This is really strange." Wesley exclaimed.

"I see what you mean." Angela agreed

Cam looked at them questioningly and asked, "what do you mean?"

"Well first off these remains are of different ethnic origins. It was assumed that this could possibly be a native burial site. Secondly the range of ages and ethnicities don't make it look like a dump site to a serial killer either. Killer tend to have a type of victim whether it be looks, age, sex or some other physical characteristic." He stated. "Also it looks that the ages of the bones themselves vary in the amount of time they've been exposed. Some of them look really old.

"Well it looks like we have our work cut out for us then guys. Let's see if we can find causes of death. It could be possible that this is just a burial site for a town that may just not be on record in the area. Maybe the cave was a mine or something. Or it could be some very depraved killer." Cam mused.

Hours had passed and the silence between Booth and Brennan was unnerving. They had never not talked like this. Brennan was consumed in her work, but this wasn't Booths thing so he became quite bored and a bit anxious as well. The sun was close to setting so Booth decided to go ahead and start fixing some dinner for the 2 of them.

"I am going to get us something to eat. Call me if you need anything." Booth declared.

"Oh is it that late already. Thank you. Would it be alright if I bounced some ideas off of you while we ate?" she said back.

"Sure, you know you can always talk to me." Booth answered back.

Brennan couldn't help but think to herself: _I used to but not today._

About an hour later he had everything ready. Brennan asked if they could eat inside, so booth carried in the chairs and then the food. As they ate Brennan began their conversation.

"Are we ok?" She asked. She was almost afraid of the answer.

"What? Yeah. Why would you ask that?" Booth answered.

"Well it just seems to me, that our communication has significantly decreased recently. I know last night and today was a bit awkward for you, but it isn't just that." Brennan exclaimed

"No. Sorry. It isn't you. It's me. Just got stuff on my mind is all." It wasn't a complete lie. His feelings weren't his fault.

"Are you positive? You can talk to me. I am completely trustworthy." She almost begged

"Not now Bones, maybe someday." He said almost despondently.

"Oh… Ok… well about the case then. We have 2 sets of remains left from yesterday and so far today I have discovered 3 more. Their ethnic variation and age vary. From what I can tell without any equipment they all died of varying causes at drastically different times. It is very perplexing."

"So you're telling me this isn't some historical find but rather a murder dump site." The statement was phrased more like a question.

"I'm not sure. There seem to be many years separating the times of death. I don't see any signs of injury that would lean towards murder. There are no real tell tale signs to be definite. I need more time. I need more evidence." She said.

Booth's gut went to work. Something didn't feel right, but he couldn't put his finger on it. Whatever it was it wasn't good.

"I'll clean up, be back to help you in a minute. A couple more hours and we should get some sleep. Get a fresh start in the morning. " Booth said.

"Sounds like a good idea." Brennan called back.

Outside as he straightened up he couldn't help but feel like he was being watched. He shined his flashlight around but he found nothing. He wasn't usually a paranoid person, but that and his gut had him worried. Maybe they should just go back to the hotel for the night. Somewhere behind a locked door, where he could think. Somewhere where bones was safe. He finished cleaning up and decided to go ahead and propose to Brennan that the Hotel was a better idea.

He walked in the cave and she was busy studying the bones. Maybe giving her a few minutes would be better. He hated to bother her when she was so deep in thought. He wandered down the cave a bit farther then he went earlier in the day and heard the sound of water not far ahead. He walked down the shaft until he saw what looked like a waterfall coming from above. Dull light from the moon shown down. He couldn't help but think how romantic a scene it could be. If it weren't for the rain the light would probably be much brighter, but then of course the waterfall wouldn't exist. Just shows you can't have it all. He looked down and saw what on a dry night would probably be some sort of crater. The surface of the water was only an inch or so away from flooding over the bank of the small body of water. If the rain keeps like this, the cave is going to flood. He needed to go back and let Bones know. As he turned he thought he saw a shadow move. He looked around but again saw nothing. He started back toward Brennan his gut twisting more in knots. Just as she came into view he heard it.

He heard what sounded like a small explosion from outside the cave. He ran to where Brennan was looking over the bones. He grabbed her arm and launched her away from the now falling rocks as hard as he could.

Then he felt the pain, more pain then he could ever remember feeling. He had been beaten, shot, stabbed, tortured, but nothing had ever felt this bad before. Darkness engulfed him. Then he saw her. Visions of her filled his mind's eye. He had always heard that people's lives would flash before them in situations like this, but it wasn't his life, not his whole life, just his life with her.

He saw the day that they met. He saw their first kiss. He saw her laughing, he saw her crying. He could even here some of their conversations. He knew she meant a lot to him, but now he was seeing just how much. He didn't see his Mother, his brother, grandfather or his son. All who meant the world to him. He only saw her. She was his soul mate, his other half. A day late and a dollar short.

The visions began to fade, her voice more distant. The pain lessened until it was gone. He saw a light traveling towards him. As it got closer it got brighter and larger until it surrounded him. Mixed emotions were evident. Sadness as he felt too young, disappointment that he felt he had unfinished business, but also relief that he was seeing the light and not the fires of hell.

The light was calling him towards it but he couldn't help but turn and look back. Looking back at the life he was leaving behind…

She hadn't noticed a thing, and then all of a sudden Booth showed up out of nowhere. He grabbed her arm and throwing her across the cave. She landed hard a few feet away and rolled into a boulder towards the interior. Dazed, she looked up to see Booth crumble under a landslide towards the mouth of the cave.

No not again. He can't have done it again. She lived through his death once. The night he stepped in front of a bullet to save her. How many times had he put his life in jeopardy to protect her? The particulates from the landslide filled the cave. Breathing was difficult and her sight cut off. Her adrenaline pumping, she had yet to feel her own pain. Only fear and dread filled her.

The rumbling stopped and the air grew still. The particulates hadn't settled yet so she still couldn't see where she saw Booth fall. She tried to stand but her left arm and ankle gave way. She did a quick assessment of her injuries. Looks like a sprain to the ankle but her shoulder was dislocated. The rest of her injuries were just minor contusions.

She could fix this; well not fix but repair good enough to function. She lifted her left arm with her right and placed it palm flat on the boulder, slight twist and she pushed with all her force. A pop resonated and sharp pain. Ok that is in place. She pulled her knife from her pocket and proceeded to cut the legs from her pants. She wrapped her ankle as tightly as she could. She slowly got to her feet and limped towards Booth's location. She fought back the tears as the mound of rubble came into view. Booth was nowhere to be seen.

Back at the lab with several tests and research done, the team was having a meeting to discuss their findings.

"Ok so I have found numerous particulates that show that each of these bodies have originally located form somewhere other than the place they were found. Also I can say that at least 6 of the 10 bodies have at one point been embalmed." Hodgins stated.

"I did sketches of each of the people and the closest matches on the database were from people declared as already dead." Angela added.

"Ok so we aren't dealing with an archeological find, nor a murder dumpsite. Grave robbing? Is there any evidence of anything that could give a reason these people were removed from their graves?" Cam surmised.

The group all looked at each other and then headed back to their areas to study further. Each thinking this is the strangest case they ever handled. Cam dialed Both Booth and Brennan and got voicemails. She left a message for both with their findings so far.

He watched as the side of the mountain crumbled. Just the right size charge to not cause alarm to anyone who might be nearby. The Lady was just collateral damage, but along with Booth had been a pain in his ass. He told Booth he had no problem making his son an orphan. He could have just picked him off from a few hundred yards, at least this way he has a fighting chance. He owed a brother in arms that much. His plan was good, even better since they kicked all the other law enforcement off the case. Live or die it doesn't matter. He would have time to take care of some business without Booth on his ass. He hated taking down a good guy, but he couldn't continue his mission with him in the way.

As she got closer the particulates finally started to settle some, she searched the area where booth had been. Her eyes caught sight of his finger tips protruding from the rubble.

"Booth!" She screamed.

She dove for pile and started moving and shifting all that she could. In what seemed like forever she uncovered the rest of his arm and was beginning to see the hair from the top of his head. Blood, so much blood. She began to panic. She tried to rationalize that head wounds bled the most. She continued to move the rocks.

She could feel her own pain but buried it as she frantically worked to uncover Booth's body. Not body.. she couldn't think of him as a body. He was her friend, her partner, not a body.

Finally she managed to uncover most of his upper torso. He was on his back, that was good. She checked his pulse, weak and erratic. His breathing was shallow and erratic. His skin cool and clammy to the touch. He is probably in shock.

She wished Cam was here. She is a doctor, doctor. Bones were Brennan's knowledge base, just bones. She should check for further injuries. That she could do. She used his flashlight to check his pupils, fully dilated not responding to the light. Concussion, she felt stupid for the first time in her life. Of course he did a cave came crashing down on his head.

She needed to calm herself down; a hysterical woman was not going to do anyone any good. She continued the examination of what she could see of his body. Several fractures seemed evident. Tears stung her eyes. She needed to try and uncover the rest of him, but worried about the integrity of the mound of earth and rock. One wrong move and she could bring another land slide down on top of him.

"I'm trying Booth, please hang in there. I am working as fast as I can. Don't leave me. Please Booth Don't leave me" She was choking back her sobs. This should have been her, not him. Her! If he didn't run to her to pull her out of the way, he would be safe. He would have the strength and knowhow to get her free. He is the hero, not her.

Now she was being irrational. She is speaking to an unconscious man. She wished she knew how much time had passed. She continued working frantically. Only his knees and below were covered now. Progress, she was making progress.

"We are almost there Booth. Not much longer." She said more for her sanity than anything else. She looked at him and saw how pale he had become. The shallow rise and fall of his chest no longer evident. "NO!" she screamed. Her shaky hands reached for a pulse. Nothing…

He had broken ribs, chest compressions could be fatal. Be rational she thought, no hearbeat was even more fatal. She had to try CPR.

"1… 2… 3… 4… 5…." Breathe

She continued this process for who knows how long. The tears flowed. Her sobs wracked her body.

"Please Booth, don't leave me. You promised you would never abandon me. You can't leave me here like this. It's my fault."

1…2….3…4…5… breath.

She reached down and finally felt a weak pulse. The slightest raise of the chest was there. She did it. She kept a close watch over him as she continued unearthing his legs. She wished he would open his eyes; show some signs of life other than his weak vitals. She needed to move him. There was no telling if the debris would collapse. The rain was probably still falling. That could cause a lack of stability. But moving Booth could further his injuries. Logically speaking moving him would be safer. She searched the area for anything that could assist. She spotted the broken camping chairs they had used earlier. She did her best to fit them together tying together the posts together with the remnants of her self made bandages. This should help.

Move the body in one continuous motion as to not further injury. She managed her best with her own injuries. She just hoped she didn't increase his.


	6. Chapter 6

Booth stepped closer to the light. For the first time he could remember he felt peace creeping over him. He felt the pull drawing him towards the light.

"Please Booth, don't leave me." It was almost so faint he doubted he'd heard it at all.

He looked back again. Memories were clouded. He knew the voice but had no idea who it was. The light it was drowning everything out. He backed a few steps away and the voice became clearer. The peace he had felt began to wane. A dull ache washed over his body. '_Bones'_ he thought.

He glanced back and forth between the light and the darkness he was attempting to leave behind. The voice was pleading for him to stay, but the light beckoned him on. He thought he saw a feint figure of a woman holding her hand out to him… "Mom?"

He didn't know what to do. The draw coming from both sides were strong. He heard the pleading voice again. "I'm sorry Mom, I can't. I can't leave her yet. I am not done here. Please forgive me." With that he turned away from the light and returned to whatever the darkness had to offer.

PAIN. He had forgotten about the pain. He now considered the choice he had just made. Had he made the correct one.

"I don't know what to do Booth. I have never been at a loss. I always know what to do. Please don't leave me. I am afraid." She begged

He could hear her choked words. The battery of emotions she felt highly evident. He had made the right choice. She needed him. The pain was worth it. She needed his help and he would do everything he could for her. He always had and always will. He loves her.

He could hardly breathe. It took all his effort for the slightest amount of air. Maybe his choice wasn't a long term one. If he could just last long enough to help her it would be good enough. Everything would be worth it as long as she was ok. He struggled to call out to her, but all that came out was a soft groan.

"Booth? Hey? Can you hear me? Booth?"

He managed to crack open his eyes open just the slightest. Her face became into view ever so blurrily. He tried to focus but it came in waves. He could see a bit of relief wash over her features. He struggled to remember what had happened. He was obviously injured but his memory was clouded with the vision of his mother in the light.

He let out a soft moan. This was the first sign of life other than his feint vitals. She knew he wasn't out of danger but this was definitely a good sign. She couldn't help the slight bit of relief that washed over her. She didn't think she could retain her sanity if she were trapped with his dead body. She cared too much for him for that. He saved her and sacrificed himself. Always the hero.

"Booth? Hey? Can you hear me? Booth?"

His eyes fluttered slightly open. She could see a range of emotions on his face, the most evident… confusion.

"There was a cave in. You knocked me out of the way and took the full force on yourself. You were buried. It took so long to get you out. You died, Booth, you died." She choked on the last words

He didn't seem shocked by her words. She didn't understand. If someone had told her she had died and had been resuscitated, she would assume she would have been shocked. She never cared for conjecture, but it seemed to be a reasonable hypothesis.

He could see the questions in her eyes. He gathered all the strength he could muster to speak to her.

"I know." He slurred barely audible. "But couldn't leave you."

He could see the tears pool in her eyes threatening to fall. Memories of what transpired before the cave in filtered through the fog in his mind. He instantly tensed sending new waves of pain through his battered body.

"Wasn't accident. Set up. Explosion. " He was struggling to move now, but his body was not cooperating in the least. "Rain. Cave flooding. Got to get you out."

Her face filled with alarm. "Booth You are in no condition to be moved. I have noted numerous fractures but without x-rays I can't be sure of the extent of all your injuries ."

"Well… Doc… I… guess… we… need… some… splints… and… band..ages. Get…working…"

"No Booth you need medical assistance from professionals. You could aggravate your injuries."

"We… will… die… Have… to… try…"

He doubted he would make it through this either way, but he couldn't let her know that. He just needed to let her know. He thought back to the case with the skeletons in the cave a few years back. They died together. Him holding her. As much as the sentiment warmed his heart. He was going to do everything he could to get her out.

She was quiet then finally nodded. That was easier than he thought it would be. Usually she was so stubborn. He supposed it was a rational conclusion for her. Do nothing and die or fight to live.

Brennan went to work gathering some materials. Boot h worked on getting into a zone where he could actually speak more coherently. Deep down he knew he would be seeing his mother again soon, and there were many things he couldn't leave unsaid between he and Bones.

It wasn't often you were able to get a 2nd chance and because he was a gambler he knew a 3rd chance was slim odds.

"I am going to need to cut some of our clothing for additional bandages. I will leave the warmest for last resort." Brennan said.

Booth saw a small shiver quake Brennan's frame. He hadn't realized the temperature before now. He knew he was cold, but had assumed it due to injuries and shock. He then remembered the temperature outside.

Her legs were already bare from her previous bandage attempts. He saw her remove her jacket and begin removing her shirt. Of course she would choose her own clothing before his. She began cutting her shirt into strips and all Booth could do was stare at her satiny skin. He noticed many bruises that had formed on her torso.

"Are… you… ok?" He asked eyes filled with concern.

Brennan then took a moment to look over her body. "Oh, I am fine. When my body impacted the floor of the cave and that boulder over there a sustained a few minor injuries. I managed to reengage my shoulder earlier so that I could assist you."

Only then did it hit him. He had been the one to injure her. When he grabbed her and swung her away he had hurt her. Feelings of regret filled him.

"I'm… so … sorry Bones."

Brennan saw his react and knew he was feeling guilty. "Booth, you saved my life. It could have been me buried under all those rocks. It should have been me. I find your actions heroic even if not logical. If you had been uninjured, you would have the strength and knowledge to attempt escape. Instead you are virtually immobile and at the mercy of my knowledge base and limited strength."

He saw tears forming in her eyes. This renewed his determination that he would get her out of here. He had been to hell and back many times before, he would make his body cooperate long enough to gain her freedom.

"I am going to need some of your clothing as well, I will do my best not to cause an overwhelming amount of pain for you, but while I do this and set your bones it is best if I act quickly without empathy."

He gave her a slight nod and put himself in a type of trance that he had done many times while facing torture. It didn't nullify the pain, but he had found it was easier to ignore.

"Tell me… what I need… to do to help." He was finding it easier to speak now. This was good. He felt the pain but his body was beginning to adjust to it, and overcome.

"Just don't fight the movements. We need to remove your coat and then I will just cut off what I need. Then we will put your coat back on. The temperature has dropped significantly and in addition to all your other injuries we don't need hypothermia."

He gave her another nod and they went to work. The pain was excruciating, but he wasn't going to let her see that. His adrenaline started pumping acting almost like an anesthetic. She had been mumbling words of encouragement while she worked, but in his current state he couldn't take them in.

What seemed like hours had passed, though Booth new his judgment was off and it probably wasn't even close to correct on the passage of time.

"I have done the best that I can. I have to say I am not at all comfortable with your decision to attempt mobility." Brennan said in her normal factual tone.

The tone of her voice and the expression on her face conflicted one another. She was compartmentalizing. Her voice while remaining stoic was betrayed by the worry and concern that filled her features. Booth adorned is ever so charming smile and said. "I will be fine. Just help me up."

"I can attempt digging at the entrance. If I can just figure out the weakest points, maybe I can…"

"Bones… with all the rain and mud it will be too unstable. If you go digging around over there you take a good chance of collapsing the side of the mountain even more. You could hurt yourself more then you are now or worse. I have an idea, just help me up."

He was surprised at his own strength. He had managed to speak an entire sentence without hesitation. He just needed to keep it up for a while more. He thought back to the whole he had seen near the pool of water. She just might be small enough to fit through, then his job would be done.

Brennan helped him to his feet. His vision went black and stars formed before his eyes. He struggled to maintain calm breathing as not to alert her. When his vision cleared he forced his best smile. "See Bones I am fine."

She didn't look at all convinced. But wrapped her arm around his abdomen allowing him to lean some of his weight on her as they wandered down the cavern where Booth had been before the cave in.


	7. Chapter 7

**so psyched that Season 7 is a go.** **Here it is a bit early**

They hadn't gone very far when their feet found water. It was rising rather quickly. They were still pretty far from where Booth had been earlier.

"This is not good." Brennan stated. Booth could hear the fear in her voice.

"Let's just keep moving. I have a plan. You should be able to get out and go for help."

Brennan shot a look at Booth. "What do you mean I will? We both need to get out of here. I won't leave you. "

"Bones, I won't be able to make the climb. If you don't go, we will both die. This is our only chance." He explained.

"People will know we are missing, they will come looking for us. We don't need to separate." She was becoming slightly hysterical.

"Bones we told the rangers to stay away. I told them not to come back until we contacted them. They know we could have been searching the cave for a couple days. We won't make it that long. Then they would have to find a way to get to us, that is even more time. If we get you out the truck is only about a quarter mile down that trail. The keys are in the campsite I made in the crate with all the dried goods. You will be able to get help. I know you can do this. I have faith in you Temperance Brennan."

Brennan's lip was trembling. Tears began to stream down her face. "But…"

"No buts about it." He interrupted.

They continued down the walkway. The water reached their knees by the time the waterfall came to view.

"Be careful, there is a drop off up there. I have no idea how deep it is."

Cramps began to form in both of their legs. The water was frigid. The rain came down faster. Booth stood under the whole he had found. The early morning sunlight though stunted by the clouds shined through. It looked like the explosion had widened it a bit. He was sure Brennan would fit through.

The opening was higher then he had hoped, but to their good luck the cave had been formed in a fashion that the walls were ridged almost like a ladder most of the way up. He just needed to get her high enough to reach them.

He saw a large boulder nearby. It was slightly flattened on the top.

"Come on lets rest for a minute. We can get out of the water up there." He said.

Brennan climbed up with relative ease. Booth had a harder time but eventually made it up. His thoughts were racing in his mind. He had so much to tell her just in case. He reached over and grasped her hand. She looked up at him with doe eyes as he began stroking his thumb gently across the back of her hand.

"We need to talk." He said his voice thick from emotion. "I need to tell you some things and I need you to not interrupt. We don't have much time." She gave him a nod and he began.

"I died back there and I know you don't have the same belief system I do but just hear me out. I know you will have some sort of scientific explanation to it all, but for just a minute try and push it aside.

"When it all happened I saw things. The best I can say is my life flashed before my eyes. Only it wasn't my whole life. It was you. All of it was visions of you." She made like she was going to interrupt but he held up his hand and she stopped. "I when they stopped I saw the brightest, warmest, most comforting light I had ever seen before. I heard your voice calling me but the closer I got to the light the harder it got to hear. I saw my mom. She was holding her arm out for me to join her, but I knew I had to go back to you. I knew you needed me.

"I have so many things I have wanted to tell you for the longest time. I tried, but I could never quite do it. But I know now how short life is and all this might not work. I have to tell you everything just in case I don't have the chance again."

She started to speak and he held up his hand and again he stopped. He saw he raw emotion written on her face. She didn't want to think about losing him again. Although she knew it was a distinct possibility that their survival wasn't guaranteed, she had been pushing those thoughts to the furthest corners of her mind.

"I have been fighting my feelings for a long time now Bones. I tried to stop it but over the years they have just gotten stronger, so strong that I was considering of breaking our partnership. It hurt seeing you with other people. It hurt knowing it was all one sided.

"I love you Bones. I have for as long as I could remember. I know that you keep yourself protected because of how you grew up. That's why I never pushed it. That's why I kept it all to myself; but when your mortality is tested and you realize that at any moment, you may not be able to tell the people you care about just how much they mean to you.

"You mean everything to me Bones. The thought of the world without you in it… I couldn't live like that. Even now knowing that I would die I would do it all again. You may not think so, but you are loved, Bones. We are not all colleagues. We are friends… family really. When any of us are in danger, we don't do what we do out of obligation. We do it all out of love.

"I want to be with you. I don't just want to be your partner or your friend. I want to be all that and more. I don't want to pressure you, well I sort of do, but I don't want you doing anything that you don't want to. What I do want is for you to at least think about it. I think… no I know I can make you happy. I know that if you give me a chance that we could work. I can't promise you forever, but I can promise that every moment we are together will be worth it. It will be worth everything to me.

"I also have to ask you to do something else for me. A couple things… If I don't make it, I need you to tell Parker and Jared some things. I need you to tell Parker I will always be with him and how much I love him. Tell Jared, he is a good man. Let him know that I always knew he could do anything; that I just had to be his big brother. I had to try and help and protect him. Can you do that for me? Please?"

Brennan couldn't find her voice. She knew his tactic of changing the subject to try and relieve the impact of the previous statement. She had seen him do it many times before.

"Yes." She finally croaked out. Deep down she knew she had feelings for Booth. She always suppressed them. She was fighting an internal battle. Part of her wanted to tell him she felt it too. The other just wanted to push it aside to keep things the same. She knew that once the line was crossed they could never go back. She didn't want to lose him.

It seemed now she could lose him in any number of ways. If she didn't let herself go and be equally honest with him as he was her, he could leave their partnership. If she did and things didn't work they could lose everything. Then there was the last option that she didn't even want to think about. He could still die.

He didn't know how to take her silence. Had he made a mistake? Should he not have let her know? No. He had to let her know. Even if he were going to die, he knew she had to know. She could carry on with her that even though he wasn't there that he loved her. Everyone needed to know they were loved.

"We better get going." He broke the silence. "The water is rising." He forced himself to a standing position. "I'll boost you up to get you to those rocks. You should be able to climb from there." Once you're up, I will make it back to dryer ground."

"You can't Booth, you're not strong enough to hold both of our weights." She argued.

"Well you won't be able reach unless I do. We can do this Bones. "

She knew they had to do something. He was right on that. She looked around for an alternative and found none. She stood up and looked up. It didn't look so bad. At least if she fell she stood a good chance for a water landing. She had to push that out of her mind. She had to get out. She had to get out and get him help. She had to. She loved him too. She couldn't bring herself to tell him now. She didn't usually believe in such things as jinxes, but somehow she felt as that if she told him now it would be too much of a goodbye.

"Ok let's do this she said." Determination filled her voice.

Booth cupped his injured hands." Ok step here, then onto my shoulders. Hang on to the rocks for balance. She did as he said. Pain screamed through his body, but he held it in. He had to hide it from her to keep her focused on what needed to be done.

She was standing on his shoulders now, but she still wasn't quite high enough.

"Just a few more inches." She grunted as she stretched

She pushed herself higher and managed to grab a hold of the nearest ledge. Her injured ankle and shoulder begged for the abuse to stop. She pushed off with her foot to get it to a secure spot when it happened.

The added force from Brennan pushing,, splintered Booth's already fractured leg. The bone shifted and pushed it through his skin. He let out a shout of pain as he crumbled and fell sideways into the frigid water below.

"Booth!" Brennan screamed still clinging to the wall, ready to drop back down to assist him.

His head made it above the water, and Brennan felt the slightest bit relieved.

"Hold on, I am coming back down." She said.

"No keep going." He yelled. The pain evident in his voice.

She could see the fresh blood clouding the water around him.

"This is our only chance Bones, you have to go." He knew he wasn't fine. He knew that with the ice cold waters, his previous injuries and his new ones that his chances were slim, but he needed her to survive. "I'll make it back towards dry ground like I said. Just go."

She looked down with sadness in her eyes. He was lying and she knew it. He was always trying to protect her.

"I love you too, Booth." She called down to him and she began her ascend to the surface.


	8. Chapter 8

**Author's note : This story still has a ways to go. I am a couple chapters ahead at the moment and am at one of the forks in the road about where this story will go. Thanks to all of your reviews. I am taking many of them into consideration as I move forward. Life's experiences have me leading to a not so happy ending, but things change daily so when the next fork comes I still have choices. meanwhile I hope you all are enjoying the story.**

Angela walked into the lab and looked around. Seeing Cam, she walked over with eyes filled with worry.

"Have you heard from Brennan and Booth." Her voice was thick with concern

"Not since Booth called and said Cell reception was bad." She glanced up at Angela. " I am sure everything is fine, Ang. You know how Dr Brenna gets with bones. Seeley said the cage was pretty big and she probably has him spelunking all over the place to find more." Cam did her best to comfort the woman, but she had to admit she thought things weren't quite right either.

"Yeah I guess you are right. She is in her element out there, but still I think she would be hounding us about what we have found." Angela couldn't quite shake the feeling that something was wrong.

"Speaking of, let everyone know I want to have a meeting in about 30 minutes. I think a little collaboration is needed. I think we have found about all we can. It should be up to Booth to do his thing now."

About a half hour later:

"Ok people so what do we have here?" Cam asked.

"Well the bones date from 2 years to 100 years ago." Wendell started. "From what I can tell there is no sign of foul play, they look to have died of Natural causes."

"I analyzed the samples from the cave and the particulates from the remains themselves. They don't match. These bodies were moved from other locations, from what I can tell at least 5 locations." Hodgins added.

" I reconstructed all the faces of all the victims and then ran facial recognition. Once I was able to find some of the names I was able to find some obituaries giving the locations of where they were buried before they were brought to the cave. I couldn't find everyone but I assume since Wendell said that some of the bones were from before the computer age, that we won't be able to ID them unless we search cemeteries for missing bodies." Angela declared.

"Ok Hodgins and Angela I want you guys to compile a list of names and cemeteries, go out and take samples and see if you can find any graves that look like they may have been tampered with. I will call Brennan and booth and let them know what we have found so far."

The whole situation felt wrong. She put her hand in her pocket and grasped her Cell phone. She walked back to her office to make the calls. Both of their phones went straight to voicemail. She left each a message pertinent to the information they would seek. She also asked, almost begging that they return her call as soon as possible. It wasn't like either of them to not be in contact for this long.

She decided to make another call, this time to the ranger station. The man in charge had told her so many words that their crime solving duo had been upset with how they had handled the situation and that Special Agent Booth had kicked them off the scene and told him that if they returned before they were summoned that he would b inclined to shoot whoever stepped foot near them. Cam laughed to herself. That's Seeley alright. The man had told them that Booth, said it might be a few days before they were done with the area. This info did little to set Cam's mind at ease, though. They should be calling them to check in.

He sighted in his weapon and waited. He felt more at ease with Booth and his pesky partner out of the way. He had a job to do and they wouldn't be disturbing him anytime soon, if ever again. A tiny spec of remorse hit him, but he quickly pushed it away. Booth was a good, honorable man; but he had warned him. Why a man like him had stood in the way of ridding vermin from the earth he didn't know. Booth was just too soft. He could have just put a bullet into him and the woman. He didn't he left it to fate if they should meet again.

His target came into sight. He gently squeezed the trigger. He quietly gathered his things. He gave one last look over the area to make sure no evidence was left behind. With Booth out of the way, he knew no other government agents would be able to touch him, but he was always a careful man.

Hours later a thick southern drawl echoed through the lab. Everyone left from the team hurried towards the entrance to see what the commotion is about.

"Where is he, where is Booth?" Caroline yelled through the building.

"He and Brennan are out of town on a case, what's wrong?" Cam answered.

"Booth' psycho nemesis, that's what's wrong. I have the crime scene secured. Called him 5 times. He needs to get his cute behind down there this is his case." Caroline looked as if she were ready to burst from anxiety.

"We haven't been able to reach them either. They are out in the middle of nowhere in Virginia. Wendell and I can go work the scene. We have worked with Booth and Brennan long enough to know everything they would do. Lend us Agent Prada for the FBI side and we can get this done. I am sure when he gets the messages he will be back as fast as his truck will drive." Cam offered.

"Fine… fine… but you better not mess this up. Booth will burn all of you at the stake if you do and I will hand him the torch." Caroline exclaimed as she stormed from the building.

"I will get everything we need, you get the truck ready." Cam told Wendell.

The young man couldn't help but swallow his nervousness hard. This would be his first time out of the lab. He had always imagined it would be with his instructor. Not that he doubted Dr Saroyan's abilities, but he was trying to be a bone guy, not a medical examiner. He ran to do as he was instructed. Maybe this would be the chance he needed to really show everyone what he could do.

Cam and Wendell worked the scene with the greatest care. They knew what this case meant to Booth. They saw the change that took place over him since Broadsky took out Gravedigger, even more so when he wasn't able to make the shot at the courthouse. Deep down, both wished that it were Booth and Brennan here with them.

On their way back to the lab with everything they gathered. Cam sent a text message to Booth. A number of emotions floated in the back of her mind. If there was no response by morning, she didn't care what the rangers said, she would make them take her to the other scene or she might just shoot them herself.

Brennan continued to struggle to the surface. The water pouring down in addition to her injuries made to journey difficult. She had not heard anything from Booth since her declaration of love. She fought the urges to look down to see if he were where she had last seen him. Knowing he needed her to succeed gave her the inner strength to overcome the obstacles in her way. She could do this… she would do this. She had to.

Only a couple more feet and she'd be at the surface. Her had swimming with every emotion that existed. Only a couple more feet and she would be free to get help, only a couple more feet to freedom. She gathered all the fortitude she could muster and stretched to reach the edge of the whole. Her fingers slipped on the loose rock and mud. She lost her balance and began teetering. She scrambled to readjust her footing and handholds. Her heart felt as if it would burst from her chest. She took a moment to compose herself and calm her breathing.

How stupid could she be taking such a risk? She could have lost everything. This was her one and only chance. If she had fallen, even if she didn't further any injuries, she wouldn't have been able to get high enough to make the climb without Booth.

Booth? The silence from the cavern below unnerved her. Her best thought was that he had made it to the water's edge. She wouldn't allow herself any other thoughts. Those thoughts were not acceptable. She had heard the snap of his bones, she had heard his scream of pain, she had seen the blood surrounding him in the water. No he was strong, he was Booth. He survived so much in his lifetime. He would survive this as well. She would make sure of it.

She continued her climb. This time insuring that each step was stable. Her head mere inches from the surface, her heart began to race. She was almost there. She pushed upward and the fresh air raced through her lungs. With everything else she hadn't realized how stale and dirty the air had been. Within minutes she rolled to her back, taking in all her senses could take. She shed tears of relief.

She rolled to her hands and knees and crawled to the mouth of the opening. Peering into the darkness, she saw nothing. Even with the storm clouds blocking the sun's rays the brightness canceled her vision into the cave below.

"Booth?" she yelled "Booth?" she called again. She received no response. Panic stricken, her body racked in sobs, hope the thing she never allowed herself to rely but that which she had been clinging to disappeared.


	9. Chapter 9

She stayed that way for several minutes before she managed to pull herself together. The tiniest shred of hope that she still clung to, forced her up. She had to climb down to the campsite and get the keys. She had to get help. Her rationality told her it was too late. It had already been too long and his injuries to severe, but that tiny part of her that had the faith he had always spoke of screamed to her to that there was still a chance.

Fighting her exhaustion and ignoring her pain she forced herself to her feet. She observed her surroundings and determined which direction she needed to go.

The temperature of the water shocked his body; the pain he had been ignoring intensified and demanded his attention.

"I love you too, Booth." She had said.

Those words brought warmth to him contrasting the frigid waters. He watched as she began to climb. She would make it, he had faith in her. She would survive to see the sunshine past the rain. This thought gave him the strength he needed to find his way back to dryer ground. He would surely freeze to death or drown if he stayed here.

He wanted to stay, to give her words of encouragement as she made her climb; but he felt his strength fading. He fought as the darkness crept into his peripheral vision. If he stayed here and she saw him drift into unconsciousness or death, she wouldn't continue her escape. She would come back to help him and her life would again be in jeopardy. No, he needed to move away. He needed get as far as he could from her.

He let her words of endearment repeat in his mind as he struggled towards the mouth of the cave. Those may be the last words he would ever hear. He could die a happy man.

Brennan hurried as quickly as she could down the side of the mountain. Her sprained ankle screamed for mercy but she continued on. She was a woman on a mission. Keys… get the keys, find the trail, follow it to the truck, and drive for help. She repeated the words like a mantra to give her strength.

In her rush, she tripped over a tree root protruding from the ground and began rolling down the side of the mountain. She felt every new injury she sustained as she tumbled down, finally coming to an abrupt and violent stop. She heard the crack of her own bones as her ribcage impacted a large white pine tree. All the air left her lungs as she lied there mouth agape. Silent tears escaped her eyes as she stared up into the rain.

She felt stabbing pain in her chest as she took in shallow breaths of air. Could this be what he had experienced while down in the cave? This question brought her the strength to try movement. If Booth had done all he did to help her escape feeling this way, she could continue on to get the help they both now desperately needed.

She finally managed to raise herself on shaky legs, wrapped her arm tightly around her chest and continued down the mountain. She could just make out where the ground flattened out a few meters ahead.

Relief filled her as she finally reached level ground. She began looking desperately around for the camp Booth had constructed earlier. Her relief soon turned to despair as she saw the remnants of one of the canopies approximately 60 meters to her left. The entire camp was buried in the rubble of the landslide. She stumbled over to get a more thorough look.

Her chest ached more as sobs wracked her body and she fell to her knees in anguish. In her top condition it would take hours, if it were even possible to find the container of dried goods in which Booth left his keys under all the rocks and mud. Both their cell phones had been destroyed in the cave-in. Another sliver of hope vanished.

Brennan watched the sun creep under the horizon trying to think of an alternate plan. She decided the only thing she could do was find the trail to the truck. She could work on a plan as she traveled. She salvaged what she could from the exposed canopy. She made makeshift pant legs and stuffed them with the driest debris left from the trees that she could find. She gathered what was left of her strength, replaced her pain and exhaustion with determination and moved on.

She had to make several stops along the way to rest her weary body. The cold temperatures were slowly sinking into her already stiff and aching muscles. She could see her breaths coming out in short uneven bursts. She tried in vain to keep her thoughts from her and Booth's mortality. She had no more tears to shed. She was dehydrated, in the beginning stages of hypothermia and had an unknown number of other injuries. She had no idea if Booth's was even still breathing, but clung to the fact he needed her help to keep her going.

She didn't care if she survived at this point. Her body was ready to give up, but as long as he was in her thoughts she could keep going. She had to do it for him. As long as she kept focus on him she was able to get up and move on. Though, each time it became more difficult.

She estimated that is couldn't be much further. This trip would have normally taken less than an hour, but she had already been walking several hours now. She was disappointed in how slow she was actually moving. He was relying on her and she was failing

After two more stops, Booth's FBI truck came into view. She concluded that if she could break a window she could use the horn to signal anyone near for help. It was a long shot, but she was uncertain how or if the truck could be hot-wired. It was miles to the nearest town, she was uncertain of anything else that she could do.

She wandered over and found a fairly large rock. She swung at the driver side back window with what strength she had left. Pain ricocheted through her body, but the window was left virtually unmarked. She tried 3 more times before sinking to the ground in failure.

Booth finally managed to get to the water's edge. He pulled with all his strength to get his upper body to dryer ground. His body trembled uncontrollably from the low temperatures. With shaking hands he untied one if the splints and used the make shift bandage to compress the open wound on his leg. He gritted his teeth in pain as he synched it as tight as his weakened body allowed. He left the injured leg in the frigid water to slow the blood flow. He knew the dangers, but his choices were limited. He accepted that his death would not be far gone, but he wasn't going to help it along.

He had every intention of prolonging his demise for as long as he could will his heart to beat and his lungs to take in air. Breathing had become more difficult after his fall. He could feel pressure build with each breath he took. His pain was becoming overwhelming as he shivered. Every sore muscle in his body tensed as he shook.

He couldn't help but think that all the other times his life had almost ended were easier and more pleasant than this. This moved to his number 1 way of not wanting to die. He laughed at himself for this thought. He willed what strength he had left to the woman he loved. He prayed for her to make it to safety. He prayed for her to be OK when they found his corpse. He hoped that she would not be there when he was found. He hoped that none of his friends would be there for that. He wanted them to remember him vital and alive, not broken, bloody, and dead.

He filled his mind with her, everything about her; her beauty, her laugh, her voice, her scent, and most of all her final words to him. A smile came to his face and he didn't notice his vision fading, the darkness starting at the sides moving inward. He didn't notice as he slipped into unconsciousness.


	10. Chapter 10

Brennan couldn't determine how long she had sat in despair. She hadn't noticed that the heavy rain had slowed, or that it had turned to flurries of snow. _Could it get any worse_? She thought to herself. She then mentally reprimanded herself, taking the place of Booth in her own mind. He would have lectured her that it would jinx you saying something like that. Logically no matter how bad things were they could very well get worse.

She deduced she had but 2 choices. Sit here and hope someone would eventually come or head down the country road toward the nearest town and hope someone would pass by. Her body told her to stay, but her brain told her she must keep moving.

The cold temperatures had penetrated her body. She struggled against it, the pain and her exhaustion to rise to her feet. Ever slowly she began her journey. She was a fighter and this would prove to be the most difficult task she had yet to face. She wouldn't give in. She would keep going until her willpower failed and her body gave out.

Brennan could see the dawns light nearing the horizon. She cursed herself for the time she had wasted. She admonished herself for traveling so slowly. She inched her way along the icy roads. As childish as it sounded she just repeated in her mind one foot in front of the other. This helped to distract her thoughts from wandering to her partner. Those thoughts would surely driver her to insanity. After all he had done for her, she was sure she had failed him; that if she herself was found alive, it would surely be too late for him.

The sun was now high in the sky; the weather had once again changed from snow to sleet. Though not nearly as heavy as it had been yesterday, it was still discouraging. Brennan's head began swimming, her vision fading. She willed her legs to move but nothing occurred. Her knees buckled and she crumbled to the ground.

The team all arrived early, each hoping that one of the others had heard news from their two friends and colleagues. Not one spoke a word as their eyes and faces told each what the others needed to know.

"We need to get to Bath County Virginia." Cam finally announced.

They all nodded in agreement and began making their plans. They decided upon Angela's vehicle, it being the largest. Cam contacted Caroline to let her know what they were doing. Within 30 minutes they were on the road.

Thanks to Hodgins' radar detector the 3 hour drive was decreased to just under 2. They stopped at a local diner to get directions to the ranger station and some lunch to go.

At the ranger station the argument began. The ranger, Banks it said on his name tag insisted he was under orders to keep the area undisturbed. Cam could see the fear in his eyes every time Booth's name was mentioned. She wasted 30 minutes trying to explain that they were esteemed colleagues of Dr Brennan and just needed an escort to the site as they were unaware of the location. Completely flustered Cam stormed from the building. Outside she grasped her cell phone and called the only person that she considered more intimidating then Booth.

"Caroline, hey, we need your help. This ignorant excuse of a human being is refusing us escort to Booth and Brennan… yes… Ranger Banks… yes… ok… thank you, Caroline." She turned to the rest of the group as they heard the phone ring inside the building. "She is on it" Cam said with a smile.

Within a minute Ranger Banks was out of his office and escorting them to the cave. The team kept to small talk and idle chit chat during the drive. Concern written over all their faces, they refused to speak their worries. They weren't just friends and colleagues, they were family. In the scientific field they relied on facts, but each of their guts screamed the conjecture that something was very wrong.

Ranger Banks paid little attention to his surroundings as he drove. He fumed over the humiliation all these people made him experience: threatened by Special Agent Booth, scorned by Dr Brennan, harassed by the group behind him and again threatened by a US Attorney. He couldn't wait until these people were gone and out of his life. Then he could lick his wounds and go back to the peacefulness he enjoyed from the forest.

He was so lost in his own thoughts he barely noticed that 15 miles into the 20 mile journey the vehicle behind him came to a screeching halt. It wasn't until he hear them holding down the horn that he looked into the rear view to see them scrambling out and to the side of the road. He took a deep breath, stopped his truck, put it into reverse and backed up to where they had stopped.

Angela had been staring out the window, lost in thought when she saw a red and blue mound on the side of the road.

"OMG! STOP!" She screamed.

Cam slammed on the breaks looking to where Angela's shaking hand was pointing. She saw the distinct shape of a human in a very familiar coat. She hit the horn hard when she saw that numb nuts hadn't even noticed they had stopped. The whole team jumped from the van and ran to what they had seen.

Hodgins was quick to dial 911 and request a emergency transport. He yelled to the ranger to contact local law enforcement and the FBI immediately. His heart jumped into his throat as he saw his half hysterical wife turn over and reveal the face of their dear friend. Cam checked Brennan's pulse.

"Very weak but there." She declared voice trembling. "Everyone give me your coats. Jack, get a bottle of water." Cam used all her medical knowledge to help her friend. Once she was securely wrapped in their outerwear. Hodgins scooped her up and laid her in the van and turned the heat on high.

Wendell searched the area and was the first to voice the question in the back of all their minds. "If Dr Brennan is here, where is Agent Booth?"

Booth floated in the darkness. Her voice was the only thing he felt that kept him anchored. He could see the light in the distance. It still beckoned to him. Part of him wanted to go, the other needed to stay. His only fear was that his indecision would keep him in Limbo, make him an earth bound spirit.

He tried with all his will to escape the darkness, but he was held firm where he was, wherever that is. He could feel pain. He couldn't help but think that was a good sign. Pain meant life.

The light grew closer, the closer it got to him, the less pain he felt. He heard many voices coming from the light. He could see human forms. Mom brought friends, he thought.

Closer… closer… closer… the light almost overpowered the darkness now. Bones' voice now almost inaudible was being muted by the other voices. The figures now became distinguishable.

There just a few feet away y stood his mother, his grandmother and 6 army buddies he had lost in battle. Their voices were just whispers; the only recognizable word was his own name.

They waved to him to come with them, His mother and grandmother held their arms out to him. He wanted to go. He wanted to be with them, but the one faint whisper speaking the words of love caused him to stand his ground.

"I can't leave her. I promised I would never abandon her." He whispered to his family and friends.

It would be one thing if death came swiftly and took him to his destination. But this, this he seemed to have a choice in. He could never choose to leave Bones.

As long as he had a choice, it would always be her. He would rather feel the pain, struggle through life and take his lumps to be with her, rather than revel in an eternity of peace without her.

The figures blurred out as the light faded back. It didn't leave; it just lingered off in the distance.

He clung to her voice, struggled to bring her face to his mind's eye. It was getting harder now. The harder it became; the stronger the draw to the light.

He was getting weaker.

_Hurry Bones, I don't know how much longer I have._


	11. Chapter 11

The team waited impatiently for the emergency crews, while they treated their friend. Her Pale skin had taken on a red hue as they brought her body temperature up. They used to water to dampen her mouth as they hoped to rehydrate their friend.

With Brennan's head in her lap, Angela talked to her smoothly and calmly. She did her best to bring comfort to her unconscious friend. For the first time since they found her, Brennan began to move.

"Shhhh, sweetie. We are here for you. Everything will be ok." She whispered while stroking Brennan's hair from her face.

All of a sudden Brennan's body jerked violently. "BOOTH!" She shouted. Everyone jumped in alarm to her sudden outburst and rushed to her side.

Her eyes snapped open, and she struggled to sit up. Her eyes jumped from face to face, the one face she desired to see the most was the one that was absent. For the slightest moment she had thought it all a bad dream, the worst nightmare she had ever had. As she became aware of her surroundings, she became highly aware that it had all happened. Booth was still endangered and everyone was wasting their time here with her.

"We have to go, we have to help him." She shouted.

"No we have to wait for emergency services." Cam softly corrected.

"No! No, we have to go. The cave… the cave… He is going to die if he hasn't already. We have to go now!" She was shouting in almost hysterics.

The team looked to each other for what to do. _Booth could die if he hasn't already. _Those were her words. They were a team. They all worked together. If they waited here and anything happened to Booth because of their delay, not one thought they could live with that on their conscience.

They spoke to each other silently. Hodgens grabbed his cell and made another 911 call stating they would be changing locations. He also notified them that they would need another emergency unit and to get the exact location from the park rangers.

Cam went to Banks and told them they needed to get to the cave immediately for their other friend.

Banks didn't know what to think. He had followed the orders given by the FBI agent. Somehow, he was still riddled with guilt. He had seen this woman, Dr Brennan, so vital and full of life just 3 days earlier. Now here she was looking almost broken and frail. If she were this concerned over the Agent and not with herself, he couldn't imagine his condition.

Wendell lost the argument and had to ride the rest of the way to the site with the ranger. Banks could feel the cold glares he was receiving from the young man. He hated it, but only because he knew he deserved them. This was his area. He should have insisted that he or other rangers should have been on site at all times. They knew the extremes out there. They knew the dangers. Out of wounded pride and resentment he had left those two city people to fend for themselves. There would be an investigation. He may not have his job any longer, but he found that that wasn't his highest concern. He deserved whatever consequences he would get from his actions.

In Angela's van the rest of the team sat quietly as a still weak Brennan described what had happened. Her voice broke with all the emotion she kept pent up inside. She wouldn't allow the emotions to win, she had a job to do and she would get it done.

She told them she had been lost in her work. She wasn't aware of anything until Booth had grabbed her and through her to safety. She explained that she had spent hours trying to uncover him. She fought hard against the sobs that tried to escape when she revealed that he had died. She explained the dilemma she battled between further injuring him and performing resuscitation techniques.

Their hearts broke for both friends as she described their injuries. They stifled the questions that arose in their own minds when she revealed Booth had said he saw someone and that there was an explosion. Those questions could be reviewed later when they knew the condition of their friend.

They admired their bravery as she spoke of Booth's plan and their slow and painful journey towards the only opening they knew of. She explained Booths plan further, the details of how he had helped her to reach high enough to get to the rock formations that allowed her to escape the cave grave.

They all winced at the descriptions of the sounds she heard as Booth's already fractured leg had made as it gave away, of the sounds of his screams of pain as he fell into the ice cold waters below. She told them that was the last she had seen and heard from him.

What she hadn't told them was his confession of his feelings towards her, and her own small gesture towards him. That was theirs. No one but them had the right to that knowledge.

She glazed over the details that brought her to where they had found her. Her focus was all on Booth.

The team stayed in silence after she concluded the story. Each of their thoughts and prayers remained on their missing friend. They dreaded the thoughts of what they would find when he was located.

Soon Booth's FBI truck came to view.

Angela stayed in her own vehicle with Brennan as the team got out to investigate. They could see the slight damage to the window Brennan had struck with the rock. The sleet had turned the snow to ice. All their eyes focused on the copper colored shape imbedded in the ice. The large caliber rifle round that stood as a message from who had done this. One word screamed through all their thoughts. _Broadsky._

Cam grabbed her phone instantly to notify Caroline what she had found. The ranger gave the coordinates of the cave to notify the crime technicians and Agents that would follow.

"Find my boy" were the last words she muttered before disconnecting the call.

The team returned to Brennan now who was now arguing with Angela.

"I have to go. I have to show them." She was screaming.

"Sweetie, you are just too weak, you will slow them down." Angela argued as soothingly as she could. "That guy knows how to get there. He will show them."

"No, the entrance is useless. The design of the landslide will prevent access from the mouth of the cave. Any disruption of the material will most likely cause an imbalance and cause another landslide. They need to get to the opening. The opening I used to exit. They won't discover it soon enough without me."

The team doubted that under the conditions that were described if Brennan herself would be able to remember exactly where it had been. But they also knew how stubborn their friend could be.

"If you don't go with me I will go on my own. I am formidable in martial arts injured or not, I doubt one of you could stand against me and win." She fought.

During the argument Banks had uncovered a small ATV that had been in the bed of his truck. "We can cover up the good doctor and she can ride with me. They radioed that they will be sending Choppers in with personnel as well as by cars. If it will bring her more comfort, let her come." He explained.

So they began their journey. Brennan and Banks driving slowly, while all the team minus Angela following as quickly as they could on foot. Angela was in no condition with her swollen belly to follow. She stayed back with information and to guard the evidence. She would follow with another ranger when the others that were expected arrived.

Each person's imagination ran rampant with what they thought they might see. No one voiced their fears, as saying them aloud might bring them to truth. Brennan survived, so could Booth. They did their best to reassure themselves. He was big and strong; as tough as nails. He fought wars; fought crime. Through his life he had been beaten, tortured, shot, stabbed, and blown up. His body and mind had been tested in every way known to man. He always survived. Through everything he never wavered. He kept his fun and loving personality through it all. He would be find they told themselves. They just wished that they could believe it.


	12. Chapter 12

**Authors note: this chapter isn't as lively as the others but I thought it needed to be there.**

As they wandered the trails, the team couldn't help but admire Brennan. Hurt and in the dark of night she had found her way through the different trails running through the area.

When they arrived at the scene their worst suspicions were confirmed. They could see the remnants of that had been part of their campsite. Mostly everything was crushed under the debris from the side of the mountain. Each of the team brought up the memories of the photographs they had seen from when Brennan and Booth had arrived.

"There must be at least 2 tons of rock and mud there." Hodgins thought allowed.

Banks went over to investigate, shaking his head and returning to the group he said: "The doctor's right. No way we can dig him out. We will need heavy equipment, materials to create a support system, and a lot of time. One wrong move and we can bring the rest of that mountain on top of us. We can't risk dozens of other lives to get through this as quickly as we would need to."

Scornful eyes glared at the man. They knew he was right, but none of them had the heart to agree.

Guiltily the man looked away. "We will have to find the other entrance Dr Brennan told us about. Maybe we can figure something out from there."

The team discussed amongst themselves who would stay behind with Brennan to let the reinforcements know what they were doing.

"What makes you think I am staying?" Brennan questioned, standing there on shaky limbs.

They opened their mouths to argue but they could see the determination in her eyes, the firm expression on her face.

"Do you really think you are up to it ma'am?" Banks questioned.

She shot him an angry glare. I am the only one who knows exactly where it is. I refuse to allow you to waste more precious time in searching. He needs my help!"

They knew there was no point in arguing. They decided Wendell would stay behind. Cam was a medical doctor and Hodgins and expert in the rocks of the area. They seemed more pertinent than a bones student in this situation. Besides Brennan was going and her expertise was much greater.

They decided to utilize the ATV for as far as they could. Brennan had marked the trail pretty decently as she had dug her feet most of the way. They saw the marks from her tumble down and cringed at all the rocks and saplings she had come in contact to on her decent. How she made it as far as she had, was a question they all thought to themselves.

They reached a point too steep for the ATV, so Banks grabbed his supplies, consisting of rope, climbing gear, a first aid kit and flashlights from the vehicle. Hodgins and Cam hiked either side of Brennan offering her not only emotional but actual physical support.

Brennan felt strong. With her friends by her side and determination to get to Booth with help, she had found new strength from deep within. She allowed a tiny bit of hope back into her metaphoric heart. The higher they got the harder it was to find the trail Brennan had taken. Ice and snow covered the area since she had been through. She searched the area bringing back her memories form the night before.

"This way, it shouldn't be far now." She said with certainty.

The group looked at each other questioningly, but followed. A short distance later Brennan stopped. She searched the ground desperately with her eyes. "It should be here."

"The weather must have covered it up." Banks stated grabbing a large fallen branch. He began prodding the ground with it and the others followed suit. "Be careful one wrong step and someone could fall through. We don't need any more injuries.

The group searched diligently in silence. After about 20 minutes Hodgins stepped down and a distinct crackling sound was heard. Banks being the closest grabbed his arm and pulled him away, just in time to see the ice give way revealing what they desired. After giving their thanks they gathered around the opening. Banks chipped away at the ice, bringing it into full view.

"Wow that's narrow." Hodgins announced. "Will Booth even fit through there?" Cam shot him a warning look as Brennan's disdainful glare hit him. "Sorry, just thinking out loud."

The thought had entered all their minds. Booth was a large man, Brennan a rather petit woman. Brennan did the calculations in her head.

"It should be adequate for him to make it." She stated in her dry, unemotional, clinical tone.

She was pulling inside herself. The walls the team had been working on chipping away were now back in full force.

"Dr Saroyan, I think it best if you proceed first as you have the adequate medical training needed. I will go next as my experience inside will be needed. I suggest that you both stay here and then send Wendell or a rescue team when they arrive. There are some loose rocks, if Dr Hodgin's can ascertain their integrity, you may be able to determine if widening the opening will be wise."

Banks set up the ropes and climbing gear in order to lower the 2 women down. He didn't like the plan but had already figured out there was no arguing with these people. He tested the set up when he finished.

"Ok ladies. This is ready to go." He stated. He helped each woman into a harnass and began lowering them down one at a time.

Cam couldn't help but think Seeley would owe her for this… if he survived. The thought brought both a smile and frown to her face. If? She and Seeley had been lovers more than once. It had never progressed into anything more. Those feelings just never formed. She cared about him deeply and knew the opposite to be true as well. She couldn't fathom what she would do if she lost him. She knew he always looked after her; she always had an ear to listen and a shoulder to cry on when he was near. She was afraid. Afraid of seeing her brave and loyal friend broken. Afraid of him being the next body on her slab. Afraid she would never see his warm brown eyes and jubilant smile. She knew Seeley had meant a lot to her, but was only now realizing how much.

Brennan buried all her emotions deep inside. She knew loss. She knew it so well she had learned to not let it affect her. Having friends had weakened her. They had opened her up to hurt she was unable to process. She threw up all her fallen walls. She would never allow this to happen again. She would go back to what she knew worked.

Both women were now in the cave. The waters were much deeper since Brennan escaped. They sent up the harnesses and waited for the medical kit and flashlights.

The stale air hit Brennan like a ton of bricks. Memories of yesterday's events intruded on her mind. She pushed them away. She needed focus.

They waded through the water searching everywhere for Booth. They called for him only to get silence in return.

The helicopters had arrived and personnel flooded the scene. Park rangers and volunteers came barreling in from all the surrounding trails, one with a frantic Angela in tow. Sweets and Caroline stepped off one of the helicopters. Wendell felt a wave of relief at the familiar faces. He had already repeated the necessary information a dozen times over.

Rescue workers called in requests for the equipment they would need. Volunteers began working under their instruction. FBI forensics worked the scene at Booths truck and spread out to search for evidence of the crime committed against one of their own. Many of Booth's coworkers arrived, most on their own private time. They had grown to admire the man through the years. Every job he undertook he excelled in. Not many agents could understand the scientists let alone work so well with them.

Hacker was the next to arrive.

"Where is Temperance?" He asked as he approached Wendell. His own feelings towards Brennan evident

"She went with the others; she was leading them to where she made it out of there." He answered.

Wendell, Hacker, Sweets, a handful of rescue workers, two park rangers, two medics and four FBI friends of Booth's formed a group. They radioed ahead to Banks for instructions. They had tied off markers every 20 feet or so to make their trip easier. He requested a pickaxe, back board and some other medical supplies to be brought with them.

The group set out on their journey. Those that knew the duo reminisced aloud, while the others listened.


	13. Chapter 13

"Remember when that group held you guys up in the Lab. Booth had led a diversion and took out 3 agents singlehandedly to give Temperance a chance to test the bones." Thacker had mixed emotions about that day. He had wanted to impress Temperance but was to late to do anything. That day also caused him to admire the other agent greatly. He doubted any other single FBI agent could have pulled that off.

"Yeah." Sweets said. "He was totally awesome. I never thought anything could take him down." With that a look of sadness came over sweets face. Booth was almost like a real life Superman to him. He always seemed to save the day. Though he fought it he had been able to see through Booth and find little things that made him tick. Most men who had been through many of the things Booth had would shut down. They would close themselves off much like Dr Brennan had. Instead, he was a lively man. He took everything thrown at him and rolled with it. Not only did he roll with it he conquered it; not that he didn't have underlying issues that needed to be resolved, but beyond normal adaptation techniques he was very successful.

"I remember when the gravedigger got him and he broke out of the little sub and through the whole ship without any help. I still don't know how he pulled that off. Using the water to get to the higher level, prying stuff open, blowing a whole in the wall. The man is smarter then he acts." Sweets remembered. Thinking of the gravedigger made him think of the day Broadsky killed her. He wouldn't have made it through that ordeal without Booth.

"Booth is highly intelligent. One of his gifts is he allows other to misjudge him, and then moves in for the kill. He will have my job one day, possibly even higher." Hacker made a note to make sure that Booth became more recognized for his work.

Wendell thought back to all the hockey games. "Booth broke his hand on that guy after smashing me in that hockey game. He was a mix of a dad and big brother he never had. Is.. is… is I didn't mean was I swear. God I didn't mean was." Tears came to the young man's eyes. The other 2 men patted the kid on the back. Telling him they knew what he meant. It wasn't hard for any of them to think in the past tense.

They continued swapping stories around, both hoping that more would be added in the future yet recognizing that there was a great chance that there wouldn't. The men in the group that had never met Booth were becoming fast admirers. They could imagine movies being made about this man. He seemed almost like a real life James Bond mixed with John Wayne.

Following the trail the first group left it wasn't long before they reached them. They looked down the narrow shaft all feeling slightly dejected. How on earth were they going to fit Booth through that, they all wondered.

"This area is a mix of sandstone and quartzite. The Sandstone will be easy to chip away at, but the quartzite much more difficult. The problem is with any heavy equipment brought in we take the chance on collapsing the entire area. It's going to be slow but we are going to have to chip away until we get it wide enough." Hodgins informed the group.

"Ok gentlemen, for now we can only fit the smallest men down there to assist the ladies. We are going to do this on a strict volunteer basis. We cannot guarantee your safety. We have to widen this in order to get agent Booth's body through." The park ranger informed the group

"Special Agent Booth! Not Special Agent Booth's body!" Wendell snapped.

The park ranger looked away. He had very little hope that the man was still alive, although he should have taken more care not to disappoint those close to him.

"Ok volunteers?" He asked.

Wendell and Sweets were the first to step forward, many of the others sized themselves up against the opening. Many disappointed because they just wouldn't fit. Hacker among them, he was desperate to see Temperance with his own eyes. Hodgins wanted to go but he knew he was needed most in the work with the rocks. The smaller of the Medics stepped forward, an FBI agent and two of the volunteers joined them.

"Ok Six volunteers will work fine, four of you should find the ladies and assist them. I would like the other two to work on securing the area below for when we are ready to get everyone out of there." Explained Banks.

They began lowering each of them down.

"Damn." Sweets Announced as he felt his shoulders being constricted against the sides of the narrow space. He did his best to curve them inward until the area widened. This defiantly was not a good sign. Booth was much broader than he.

Wendell followed. He too had to contort his body to make it through. One of the volunteers had to ask people help shove him through when he became stuck.

The frigid water soaked their clothing, the air so stale it constricted their lungs.

From the bottom Sweets and Wendell looked up. "How the hell did they manage to get her out. " Wendell questioned.

"It's nothing short of a miracle my friend." Sweets answered.

Once they all made it down they decided the two volunteers would stay behind and the medic and booth's friends would move on.

They called out for Brennan and Cam

Brennan and Cam made their way down the shaft. Cam gave up on conversation as she received nothing but curt one word responses. They searched diligently for any sign of Booth. With the injuries Brennan had described she couldn't fathom how Booth could have made it this far. The water was still up to their thighs. As much as they didn't want to the searched in a zigzag pattern in case his body had sunk. With each step Cam's optimism fell. She fought to keep her teeth quiet as the icy temperatures sunk into her bones. How many hours had it been? Brennan couldn't be certain. With the temperatures and his injuries, it would be a miracle if her were still alive.

This all felt like a nightmare. Brennan wished she would hear her alarm go off, or her phone to ring, or even hear Booth pounding on her door. She had been excited by this find, excited of the possibilities. She had been happy that Booth was there to share it with her.

She smiled as she thought of their first night here in the hotel. She loved how he could be so awkward around her, almost like a juvenile. She thought of him standing there in the nude. She thought how that he could be hers. She quickly pushed those thoughts away. He couldn't be hers. She could never be what he wanted, what he needed, what he deserved. He believed in forever, she believed in the here and now.

She hoped he didn't hear the words she had spoken before she began climbing. They were a mistake. She should never have even thought about uttering a single word of it. If he had heard he would want to act upon them. That was something she could not and would not do.

She wanted this to go faster, she wanted him to call out and let them know where he was. She wanted to find him sitting there with a smile on his face and asking what had taken them so long. Instead visions of his lifeless corpse plagued her thoughts. She imagined his body being stiff and still, his skin pasty white with a hint of blue. She saw his dead lifeless eyes staring straight into nothing. She pictured his mouth agape with no hint of his charming smile. Cam had to wipe her eyes to keep the tears from falling. She had seen many corpses in her life. She would give anything to not see his. She had gone to his funeral once. Though it was fake it was heart wrenching. She didn't think she could make it through the real one.

She looked over at his partner. She could see through the stony front she was putting on. She knew she cared for Seeley. The whole team waited for the day they would fall into each other's arms. They both deserved happiness. She also understood Brennan's hesitation. She had a difficult background. Everyone handled things differently. She shuts everyone out, while Seeley desperately seeks out companionship. He is an open book, she a locked diary. Both dive headlong into their work. Both held their secrets, but both felt they confide in each other. Everyone knows how good they are for each other, how they complemented each other. Now they may never get a chance.

They heard their names being called from where they had come. The sudden shock of the sound startled Brennan. Losing her concentration she took a step forward and tripped over a large mass and fell face first into the water.


	14. Chapter 14

Brennan thrashed about in the water try desperately to return upright. Cam began moving toward the frantic woman for assistance. As she regained her footing and brought her head above water she began screaming hysterically between sobs. Her screams resonated through the cave.

"No! No! No!" She just kept repeating over and over.

Cams heart shattered in that exact instant.

Brennan's screams were heard by those on the surface. The men froze mid swings as they worked diligently to chip away at the opening. Sadness fell like the rain. Silent prayers were being said. Hodgins wiped away the tears threatening to fall.

"Come on men we need to get this done." Hacker said, his voice thick with emotion.

The men continued their work. Their movements more robotic then energized as they were before they heard.

The volunteers in the cave heard the screams. Their first instincts were to run and see who may need their assistance, but their sense of duty took over. They were needed here. They bowed their heads in prayer then continued their work, clearing away the area they would need for evacuation of the cave.

Wendell and Sweets froze where they stood. Their already negative thoughts intensified. Brennan was a usually calm and reserved person. She wouldn't be screaming like that if it weren't bad. Their worst fears overwhelmed them. It was the medic who snapped them from their immobilization.

"We need to keep moving guys. Sounds like they are still pretty far away. They might need help." He said.

Special Agent Barrows performed the sign of the cross as he started moving forward.

Sweets was uncertain if he could handle all this as he waded down the path. The thought that kept him going in this one moment is that the two women would need his help. Though none of the team valued psychology, he knew that he would be needed to help heal their mental wounds.

Wendell experienced every emotion in an instant. He thought back to when everyone went their separate ways. Deep down, he knew that after this the team would fall apart. Brennan often said she would only work with Booth. Without Booth there would be less work. He wasn't even sure if they could all work together with this memory in the forefront of their minds. Angela would have the baby, she was emotional. She couldn't deal with the memories, he knew it. Brennan would become more rigid as she pretended nothing had ever happened. Would cam really be needed if they only worked on archeological finds? He knew Hodgins admired Booth and considered him a close friend. He and Angela may just move away to escape. He knew for sure, no one would get over this very fast.

Angela and Caroline sat near the entrance of the cave as all the volunteers worked around them. An agent standing in close proximity answered his radio call. The words they heard next all but destroyed them.

"Screams were heard from who we think is Dr Brennan. Prognosis doesn't look good at this time."

Angela broke into quiet sobs and the older woman shed her own tears as she tried to console the grief stricken woman.

Caroline had always thought of Seeley Booth as a son. Yeah she taunted and scolded him at times, but that was just how she was. She admired his dedication to his work. She never had a problem prosecuting his cases with all his thorough work.

She had seen him come to life on his assignment with the Jeffersonian. She knew his emotional ties to the Doctor. He could deny them all he wanted. She could see the love in his eyes when he looked at the woman. She would miss Seeley Booth. In her despair she began considering her own retirement.

Angela had always been the most human of those from the Jeffersonian. Every case brought on more emotion for her. She couldn't compartmentalize like many of them. This was the worst though. Booth was going to be the godfather to her child. The lab had changed when they began working with them. He brought life to the group. Before Booth it was all science.

She thought of how this would affect Brennan. The longer she worked with Booth, the more she came out of her shell. She would surely retreat into herself after this. She would blame herself for his heroics. She thought back to when he had taken the bullet meant for Brennan from the freaky stalker chick. When they all thought him dead, Brennan shut down completely. She hid in her Bones. She didn't live; she just existed.

Caroline reached into her pocket and removed her cell. She called back to the Hoover building. "This is Caroline Julian, Can I please have the numbers to the Family of Special Agent Seeley Booth please."

She wrote down the numbers as they were given. She took a deep breath and dialed the first number.

"Is this Mr. Jared Booth? Yes this is Caroline Julian; I am a friend of your Brother Seeley… I am afraid I have some bad news… Seeley was working on a case in Virginia, There was a landslide and he and his partner were trapped inside… No, Dr Brennan was injured but escaped to get help… Your brother sustained many injuries, they are trying to get to him now… I am afraid the prognosis isn't looking good right now… We fear the worst… Dr Brennan was heard screaming by rescue teams as she reentered the cave with help… No conformation has been made yet… I assure you we have people working very hard to get your brother out… Are you sure? I can make the calls if you aren't up to it... I will have someone with the GPS coordinates contact you immediately… We will see you soon."

She closed her phone. She hated making calls like that. She was only happy to concede to him making the call to his grandfather and the mother of Booth's child. She told the nearest agent that he needed the GPS coordinates sent to Jared's number. She then allowed her own emotion to take back over.

The sun set on the mountain. This day had come to an end. Darkness had fallen not only upon the land but also on the hearts and minds of all those who knew and Special agent Seeley Booth.

**Authors note: I know a lot of people are hating me right about now, but please keep on reading. This story is not done, there is much more to come. Please review. Look for the next chapters to come, you won't regret it (at least I don't think you will.) **


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's Note - Thank you all for sticking with me. Here is a little gift for all the mom's out there. Happy Mother's Day**

Cam stood frozen. She willed her feet to move towards her friend, to help her, to console her, but they would not move. Brenna's scream's died down, but she backed against the wall of the cave sobbing hysterically, uttering no over and over again. Both just stared at the place Brennan had fallen.

It wasn't long before the four men came into view. Sweet headed towards Brennan and Wendell towards Cam. Agent Barrows and Mike the medic just moved forward.

It wasn't until Wendell's arms wrapped around her that Cam's tears began to fall. She shook silently as he whispered comforting words in her ear.

Sweets words fell on deaf ears as he approached her. She just stared. He knelt before her looking up into her empty eyes.

"Dr Brennan. Temperance. Please look at me."

"No. No. No."

He was tempted to slap her to bring her out of it, but remembered all the martial arts she knew and decided against it. He was at a loss for what to do.

Mike and Barrows unsure of what was going on moved forward. All of a sudden Brennan rushed forward pushing the Agent into the Medic and shouted at them.

"No, you will step on him!"

Sweets apologized to the men and walked to Brennan and wrapped his arms around the frantic woman and turned her away from the men. He never realized she could act this way. She was always so rational. He always surmised there was more to her, more to the partnership between the two. Now he could see it clear as day. She truly loved this man, enough to protect him even in death.

Cam felt empty. Like her own life had been drained from her body. Seeing Brennan act so erratically only intensified her own emotions. She clung to Wendell. She felt that if she let go she would disappear into the dark waters.

Wendell felt robotic. He didn't know what to feel or think. Everything seemed so surreal. Never in his life could he imagine he would be in a place like this doing what he was doing. These were two of the strongest women he had ever met. Seeing them now he felt he didn't know them at all.

The two men began feeling around in the water for what they imagined would be the body of Agent Booth.

Agent Barrows felt what could be interpreted as hair brush against his wrist. He motioned for Mike to join him. He nodded to Sweets and Wendell so they could prepare themselves and the women.

They each grabbed what appeared to be shoulders and lifted the body to the surface of the water

The men at the surface were making headway at the opening. Hodgins was now dangling from a rope checking the integrity of the area. He had a smaller pick axe working deeper down then the larger axes would allow. He didn't like the amount of sandstone they were encountering. It could prove to be unstable under pressure, but they didn't have much choice in the matter.

He calculated that they needed to widen it down approximately another half meter or so. He could possibly be done in another hour or so.

Hacker and many of the other workers worked on clearing the area surrounding the hole. Helicopters were standing by. Everyone was wound tight as they prepared for all possible scenarios.

People patrolled the area in case Broadsky decided to see his handy work. Forensics had found the location of the explosion and were working the scene collecting all the evidence they could find.

Every FBI agent on scene swore to themselves they would catch the bastard who did this. Agents knew that they could be taken out at anytime. Their jobs put them in the line of danger, and each one was willing to lie down their lives in the name of justice. But this, this was an atrocity. What this man had done was the furthest from honorable as they thought you could get.

This guy was supposed to be military. He should know of honor and duty. He could have faced Agent Booth as a man on the battlefield. Anger boiled in them all as they worked to bring their fallen comrade home

Angela slept a fitful sleep of nightmares. Each filled with scenarios of what Booth's body would look like. She had cried until she had no more tears to shed. Then her body gave in to the exhaustion of the whole experience.

Those who passed by her looked on with sorrow. Many wished she would just go back to a hotel and find comfort in a soft bed. She clutched her swollen belly as she slept. They could only imagine what her dreams were brining. She was bringing life to the world, while this man brought nothing but death.

Caroline could only pace. She couldn't just sit and do nothing, but there was nothing for her to do but wait. She hated waiting, but she was in no hurry to find the details either. Like all those in this line of work she was able to compartmentalize. She was able to separate herself form the cases and the victims. This time the victim was someone she cared for. It hit to close to home.

She was getting old; she had done everything she thought she needed to in life. Her child was older, out on her own. This man had so much ahead of him, a small boy who cherished him. He had a chance for love and happiness.

Now he had nothing. All those who care for him only have memories. Parker would grow up without his father. She wondered what it would do to the boy. Would he grow up like Seeley or Dr Sweets, or more like Dr Brennan? She feared he could even swing in the wrong direction and be on the wrong side of the law. Pain and loss affect everyone so differently.

Seeley was a good man; Parker will have many people who cared for his father to help him adjust. He would grow up just like his dad. She just knew it.

Miles away at a picnic ground, Broadsky was listening to a scanner. Booth would no longer be in his way. He was sure the FBI would be after him in full force, but he could handle them. They weren't Seeley Booth. They didn't know him and he doubted even one of them had Booth's instincts.

The lady doctor wasn't dead but he was sure he wouldn't have to worry about her for a long time. IShe wouldn't bounce back from this anytime soon. He thought it a bit arrogant to leave his calling card on the truck, but he somehow thought that if Booth had made it he wanted him to know it was him. Maybe it would have scared him into omission, but at least would have rattled his concentration. No worries now though. He couldn't figure out why they were even working this late. The man is dead, not like he was going anywhere anytime soon.

Closure maybe? Those who feel always want closure. No one can ever accept that what happens happens. Life is war, war has casualties. He had warned him to back off. It wasn't his fault Booth wouldn't listen. Damn guy thought he had to save everyone. He carried a dead man for miles, for what. So he could get buried. He always put his life on the line for people, he obviously didn't value it.

He switched the radio off and walked to his car.

"Fools. All fools." He mumbled as he started it and drove away. He had another target to prepare for.

**Authors note: Please don't hate me. I know I am being evil, but I just can't help myself. Please keep on reading, there is much more to come. There is much more than meets the eye.**

**5/9/11 - I have been trying to post ch 16 since 6 am. the document loader will not do it, i just get a white screen. I will post as son as i can. **


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note - A friend taught me how to cheat the system. I know it is late but i had to see if it works :) If this works to bypass the glitch in uploading through the document manager, message me and i will tell you how to do it. :)**

**Please leave a reiew, they are so inspiring. **

Sweets couldn't look. He didn't have the stomach for these types of things. It was bad enough when it was a stranger, but this wasn't this was a friend. He held Brennan close. He face was now buried in his chest. He whispered words of encouragement, but he didn't realize he was doing it.

Brennan had never as vulnerable as she did right now. She had always maintained control over herself, even in excess. She felt as she had no control at all. Booth had always been the only one who held her this way. She remembered asking him once to stop allowing her to do so. The man she was grasping now, felt like the only thing anchoring what was left of her sanity. The craziest thing was she wasn't even sure who it was. Her mind was so jumbled, but at the moment she could care less. She just held on and let herself go.

Cam fought an internal battle. The doctor in her wanted to look, to do her job and evaluate the body they were about to pull from the water. The friend in her wanted to be anywhere but here. The friend was winning. She pushed her face into Wendell's chest and sang Amazing Grace silently to herself.

Wendell squeezed his eyes shut. He was into bones. He never cared for the ones that weren't breathing with flesh attached. He didn't want to see what was happening. When he volunteered to come down it was in hopes to find Booth alive. Now he wished he could take it back. He wished he was outside, or even at home in his ratty apartment, in his bed fast asleep.

The two men both held their breath as the body's head broke the surface of the water. They both stared in shock.

"It's not him." Barrows exclaimed

"It's Frank Thompson." Mike explained

The words barely registered to the four grieving friends.

"It's not him?" Sweets turned to look at the corpse in the other men's hands. "It's not him!" He almost yelled

This time the other 3 took the time to look at the body. They couldn't help but feel extreme relief. There was still a chance to find Selley Booth alive. The two women released their comforters and moved towards the body.

"Single gunshot wound to the head. Estimated time of death maybe a week, give or take a day or two." Cam Mumbled.

"Frank's been hiking these trails for year. He must have stumbled on the guy who did all this." Mike guessed.

Brennan just stared at the man. She hated herself for being joyous that a life had been taken. All she could be was thankful that it wasn't Booth.

"We have to keep search." She finally said. "He is still waiting for help."

Agent Barrows Reached for his radio to tell the others the news.

In an instant the mood of everyone in the area had changed. Many took a sigh of relief, while many of the locals now mourned a lost neighbor and friend.

Either way, everyone picked up their relaxed pace. The man they were searching for could still be alive.

Caroline couldn't believe her own ears. She grabbed the arm of the nearest agent and asked to please repeat what she had just heard to be sure. He smiled and did as she requested. Tears fell from her eyes, only this time from Joy. She ran to where Angela still slept and gently shook her awake.

Angela looked at her with puffy, red rimmed, weary eyes. "It wasn't him Cher. It was someone else." A smile slowly crept across Angela's face. She leaped up and wrapped her arms around the older woman. She felt horrible in rejoicing over another man's death, but she couldn't help herself.

Caroline quickly grabbed her phone and dialed Jared. She explained to him it was another body and that they were continuing to search for his missing brother. Jared thanked her profusely before ending the call to make a few more of his own. He still kept the gas pedal to the floor. Come hell or high water he was getting to his brother.

Barrows took Frank's body and carried it back toward were they had entered the cave. The other five continued on. He told them he would catch up to them later. The man was heavy, but he knew that those closest to Booth needed to be looking for all their own reasons and that Mike was needed in case he was found alive. He was the only one who was expendable in the group. He left his radio in case they needed it.

With five instead of two they no longer followed the zigzag pattern they had before. They spaced themselves equidistance apart and traveled in a straight line; each shuffling their feet from side to side and searching the darkness with their flashlights.

They walked in silence, no one could really think of anything to say. Each of their thoughts wandered in different directions, yet all resolved around one thing, Booth.

Sweets thought about the emotional fallout they would all experience. Mike wondered if he would have to sedate any of these people. Cam had visions of his corpse, trying to mentally prepare herself. Wendell floated through past hockey games. Brennan determined to find him alive.

Brennan couldn't help thinking that she didn't remember the cave being this large. Maybe because her focus was on Booth and escape she was distracted. She couldn't be sure.

At the entrance Jared arrived on scene, He saw many volunteers working on building a support system for the mouth of the cave. He assumed they were preparing to dig it out. His eyes search until he found Caroline and Angela, both looked aged beyond their years. He didn't imagine he looked so great either. He approached them.

"Caroline? Angela?" He called.

"Oh Jared," Angela cried moving as quickly as she could towards him, fresh tears now forming in her eyes.

"Did something else happen?" He asked

"No, nothing new since I spoke with you earlier." Caroline chimed in.

"It's just… it's just… they haven't found him yet, and Bren… if you would have seen the condition she was in when we found her… and it has been so long…" Angela sobbed.

"You don't know my brother that well, Angela. I have seen and heard many stories about things he has done that any normal man would have never made it through. Where is Temperance, is she in the hospital?" He was worried about his brother, but he knew if anyone could make it out of this it was him.

"No, she refused and she went back down to look for Booth." Caroline informed him.

"What? That's ridiculous. She is going to kill herself." Jared had always been attracted to the good doctor.

"He saved her. She was working where the landslide took place. If he hadn't yanked her out of the way it would have been her under it all. She spent hours digging him out. He died and she resuscitated him. Then he had her bandage him up and he helped get her out and injured himself more. The last she saw him he had fallen and went into the water. They've been searching forever and haven't found him, yet. They did find another body though. We all thought it was him. It's so cold. Brennan was almost frozen when we found her." Angela explained.

"So she feels obligated?" He asked.

"Partly, but she loves him. She always has. She just fights it. She is afraid of attachment. After her parents abandoned her as a child, she just protects herself." Angela explained further. She doubted she should be telling people about her friend, but she wanted people to understand.

"Seeley is a lucky man to have someone who cares that much for him. If he knows that will give him more reason to fight harder in there." Jared surmised. They all agreed. "Is there a way I can get in there? I can't just sit here while my brother is in there."

"I don't know, Cher, They have been working on widening that whole up there to be able to fit Booth out when they find him. They were only able to send some of the smaller fellows through earlier. I don't know what their progress is." Caroline said.

"Well I need directions to go find out. Maybe I can help up there." He said determination evident.

"They marked the trail, so you should be able to follow. Be careful Jared." Angela informed.

Jared was able to follow the trail he got up the side of the mountain to another large group of people. '_Wow, Seeley has a bunch of people out here for him. I wonder if he really knows how many people he has impacted. Caroline and Angela should be somewhere warm and comfortable instead of out here in these temperatures. Temperance should be in the hospital recovering. I am going to have to have a long conversation with that man.' _

He saw a dirty and exhausted Hodgins being pulled from the whole. "Hodgins!" He yelled and quickly moved towards the man.

"Hey man how you doing?" Hodgins asked.

"Been better. So what's going on over here I just got a run down from Angela and Caroline." Jared asked eager for more information.

"Well I managed to widen the opening a bit, they are about to test it on the body they found down there." Hodgins explained.

"I'll be the next guinea pig. I want to be down there looking for my brother. Temperance must be out of her mind down there. How many went down." He inquired

"Uh right now it is Cam, Brennan, Wendell, Sweets, an FBI guy and a Medic. They were the only ones small enough to make it through. We even had to force one down. I've been working my ass off to get this done."

Jared could see doubt in the man's eyes. "So what's got you worried?"

"Quartzite is a very hard mineral. It has taken a lot of work to chip it away, but sandstone on the other hand crumbles quite easily. The area is composed of both. I am just afraid that there is too much sandstone and with all the moisture from the rain that it could collapse at any time. But this is our only chance if he is still alive. It could take days or weeks to stabilize and dig out the mouth of the cave."

"I see. Well it sounds like a risk worth taking. Let's see how long before I can get down there." With that both men walked towards the opening and watched as they hoisted up the body of Frank Thompson.

Down in the cave they continued searching. The water only reached their mid calves now and was gradually getting shallower. They had still not found any sign of Booth.

"He couldn't have just disappeared." Brennan spoke her thoughts.

"With all his injuries how could he make it this far?" Wendell questioned.

"Booth is strong." Cam spoke

"And strong minded." Sweets added.

With the shallower waters they were able to move more quickly and soon reached dry ground. A short time later they reached the mouth of the cave.

The newer arrivals saw the copious amount of blood through the area and their hearts plummeted to their stomachs. Booth's injuries were worse than they had anticipated.

Brennan looked frantically around."NO!" she cried out and crumbled to her knees. Booth was nowhere to be seen.


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's note - It is fixed. Happy posting my friends. :) As usual please review. my Ego needs all the help it can get**

Jared had just set foot into the cave when he heard Brennan's heart breaking voice echoing through the cavern. He looked at the FBI agent beside him and then took off in a run. The deep waters made it difficult so he dove headlong into the water, and swam as fast as he could. The FBI agent watched and followed. Jared being Navy, pulled ahead of the other man. When he reached the point that the water was too low to continue, he jumped to his feet and sprinted forward.

He saw the others just ahead. Cam was holding Brennan and the men squatted down and offered words of reassurance.

"What happened? Is everything ok?" Jared shouted to them. He could hear the FBI agent closing in.

All their heads jerked towards the familiar voice.

"Jared?" Cam shouted in surprise.

He ran over and dropped to his knees with the group, a slight panicked look taking over his features.

"We didn't find him." Cam almost whispered.

"He is gone. He is…" Brennan broke down in a surge of emotion.

"Come on guys, we just turn around and keep looking, you just missed a spot is all." Jared tried.

Brennan looked at him with red eyes. She had only just realized who it was. She flung herself at him and wrapped her arms around him.

"I am so sorry, it's my entire fault." She sobbed.

"Shh , calm down Tempe. It's not your fault. The only person responsible is the bastard that set off the bomb. Seeley is who he is. He would have done this for anyone. Look at all he gave up for me and I didn't deserve any of it." Jared consoled her. "We will just head back that way and keep searching. He probably just holed himself up somewhere. We will find him. I won't rest until I do. I wish you would get out of here and get some rest though. You won't be any good for either of you if you don't get rested and heal up."

"I can't leave him again. I shouldn't have left him before." She cried.

"Tempe all these people are here to help and know how to help because of what you did." He stated firmly.

"I should have taken care of him." She argued.

"You will when he find him." he felt horrible because he knew this was most likely a lie. He could see the blood. He could feel how cold it was down here. He hadn't seen a sign of his brother at all, but this woman needed help. She should be warm and sedated somewhere, not putting herself through all of this.

"Come on. Let's head back and when we get back to that hole you go up and get what you need. If he we haven't found him. I will keep looking. I won't stop, Tempe, not until he is found.

Hodgins explained to the group that he had done his best. That he didn't dare do much more to risk the integrity. One wrong move and he could send half the mountain crumbling into the cave sealing them in. They would run out of air before anyone could get them free.

He couldn't help but consider Booth lost, he wanted the rest of his friends out of there. He knew many were thinking along the same lines, but no one wanted to say it aloud.

The area seemed to grow increasingly unstable. Pulling the body up and sending Jared down had caused some crumbling and he could see cracks that had formed in the area. He roped off a perimeter and told everyone to stay away unless they were pulling people out. All they could do now is sit and wait.

Jared pulled Brennan to her feet. He kept his arm tightly around her as they moved back towards the other end of the cave. He only now realized how many boulders and stalagmites that riddled the cave. His brother could be lodged around any of them.

"Tempe, could I let you go for a bit and you walk with Cam for a bit?" He asked softly.

She looked up to him with doe eyes and nodded. He motioned for the other men to come to him.

"Look I know my brother if he is hurt he is going to look for support and hold up somewhere, see all this stuff. If we find him it is going to be around that. If he thought he was dying he'd have tucked himself in deep. That's the army training. They train them to avoid being POWs." Jared told them.

Sweets felt stupid for not thinking of that earlier. A normal person in this type of situation would try and stay as visible as possible; a man who had been through a war would follow a different set of rules.

They all agreed that what Jared had said was sound. They allowed the women to continue through the center, while the men began their search of the more hidden areas. It was a slow process but they felt it would pay off in the end.

Cam couldn't help but be thankful for Jared's arrival. He calmed Brennan quicker than any of them could. Something about those Booth men. She also felt pity for the man. Deep down she knew they would find Seeley's body. That wasn't anything she wanted any of them to experience. They would carry that vision with them the rest of their days. The scars they would endure would be eternal. Booth had touched all of them in a very special way.

She wanted the man responsible for this dead. He didn't deserve to take in air for taking someone so special to so many away. Brennan and Caroline are two of the strongest people she knew. People who were strong enough to constrain their emotions. Now here in this remote area, both women broke down. Brennan hadn't reacted this badly when she found her own mother's skeleton on her exam table. She was afraid the doctor they all knew and loved would never come back after this.

The cold had long past sunk into their bones. All of them wished they were anywhere but here doing what they were doing; but under the circumstances, none of them would choose to be anywhere else.

Jared's thoughts drifted to when he and Seeley had been kids. He could never count how many times his brother took the beatings from their father in his place. Seeley would see what kind of mood dad was in and just know. If he was anywhere near their dad, Seeley would charge in and distract the man. He would do anything to draw the attention to himself. He would 'accidently' drop something, or trip and fall, sometimes he would just be loud. He would do everything he could to keep Jared safe. He would beat up school bullies, talk to his teachers if he was doing badly. When he went off into the Army he would send Jared money to make sure he was taken care of. Seeley had always thought of himself as a burden on Pops. That Pops should have been enjoying his older years, not raising two rambunctious boys. So even when away he did everything he could to lighten the load. He could have gone to college, but chose to go off to war. Jared always thought he had done that for him as well.

He wished he had acted more grateful of his brother's protection. He had always thought it annoying, that he was nosy or just a pain in the ass, but thinking back now he knew it was because his brother loved him. What he had once voiced as being afraid of success was far from the truth. He did solo jobs because he had always relied on himself and didn't trust others the way he had faith in himself. He would give up anything for anyone and was loyal to a fault. He only wished he could be half the man his brother was.

He couldn't help but think how few people who would look for him he was missing and out here in the dead of night in the middle of nowhere, over a hundred people worked for his brother. He cleared his mind for a moment and said a prayer. He prayed for a sign to help him find his brother, so he could get all these people out of here. To get them home safe and sound in their beds.

A few moments later, Jared tripped and stumbled into the wall he had been walking towards. His flashlight fell into the water and out of the corner of his eye saw something shiny. A gold Zippo reflected the flashlights beam, Seeley always carried that lighter.

He reached down and grabbed the light in midstride. He moved around a large stalagmite and behind the boulder closest to the zippo. His knees weakened as his brothers pale face came into view.

"Over here!" he shouted, voice quivering.


	18. Chapter 18

**Authors Note – This one is a little short, but you should know me by now. I love Suspense. **

Everyone stopped what they were doing and looked at Jared. He stood with mouth agape staring behind a boulder. They couldn't quite make out his expression from where they were, but their guts told them it wasn't good.

Jared was afraid to move. His legs felt week. His brother's face looked so pale in the beam of the flashlight. Seeley sat pressed between the wall of the cave and the boulder. He must have crammed himself into the nook to keep himself upright. His head was barely above water. Another 7 inches or so and he wouldn't have been able to be seen.

Brennan was the first to react. She pushed through the water as fast as her exhausted pain filled body would allow. She brushed past Jared who then snapped out of it and followed. The rest of the group trailed behind with Barrows and Mike in the rear.

Brennan dropped down directly in front of Booth and pushed her fingers to his carotid artery. Several seconds passed in silence as they waited for Brennan to speak. All they could do was stare at his lifeless face, they could see no sign he was breathing. Mike used the radio to let those on the outside that Booth had been found.

The crack of the male voice through the radio jolted Angela from her thoughts. '_Agent Booth had been found'. _She waited for him to add more but it was silent. Found… found… she thought, but nothing was said about his condition. She wanted to grab the radio and scream at the man on the other end. Her thoughts then turned to the worst. No news was bad news. She thought, her excitement dying down.

She looked to see Caroline's expression fall to a deep frown as well. If he were alive he would have said. The man wasn't going to announce their friend's death over the airwaves.

Everyone outside the cave stopped what they were doing. Everyone remained silent to listen for further information. Many said silent prayers, others thoughts dipped to the worst. All were happy that he had at least been found. They had a helicopter on hand for medical transport if he were living and they would arrange a highly honorable funeral if not. Either way Agent Seeley Booth would get the honor he deserved for the hero he was.

Brennan finally started to sob. "I can't tell. I think he has a pulse, but if so it is faint and very slow."

Mike and Cam rushed forward to assess the situation.

"We need to get him out of here and warm. He has severe Hypothermia. But I don't think it is too late." Cam stated and Mike agreed.

Jared reached out and pulled his brother out of the nook he had wedged himself into. Wendell helped steady Booth and Jared threw him over his shoulder fireman style. "You guys are going to have to try and keep up." He yelled as he began running as fast as he could. The water hindered the speed of his travel, but the young man was in great shape and he was determined his brother would live.

The group took off running behind Jared. Brennan was struggling. Her body once again decided it had had enough. She stumbled and Wendell caught her before she went into the water. "Let me help you Dr Brennan." She looked at him and gave a week nod. He swooped her up like a groom would do to his bride and moved as quickly as he could behind the others. Sweets dropped behind in case Wendell needed assistance.

All their hopes were climbing though they were afraid that they may soon fall. They had found their friend. His pulse was almost nonexistence and he was barely breathing, but he wasn't dead.

Mike realized he hadn't radioed the others to inform them of Booth's condition. Breathing heavily and trying to keep up with Jared he pulled out the radio. "Have medivac standing by." He panted.

Cheers echoed through the area as the news came through. Details weren't given, but if he were dead there would be no need for the helicopter. They weren't out of the woods, but spirits soared.

Angela and Caroline embraced each other shedding tears of joy.

The team at the hole lowered a back board down to the two waiting men below the hole. They had cleared everything they could to allow extraction to go more smoothly.

It wasn't long before they saw the last man who entered wading quickly through the water with the man they had been searching for, followed closely behind by most of the others. They promptly prepared the back board.

Mike helped Jared lower booth onto the floating board while the other two men held it steady. Only now did Jared see the extensive damage his brother had sustained. He felt physical pain when he thought about the anguish his brother had gone through, but his heart swelled with pride that he had fought so hard to survive.

By the time Wendell and sweets showed up with Brennan they had already began raising Booth to the surface.

"Please put me down." Brennan said, beginning to feel squeamish in the young man's arms.

He gently put her onto her feet, but stayed close in case she needed assistance. She watched with an expression of relief upon her face. The faint light of dawn filtered downward. Brennan moved closer to the light relishing in it. It seemed an eternity since she had seen the light.

It took some maneuvering and much effort from the team above to get booth out of the cave. They just got him above ground, when Hodgins heard it.

"Run!" He yelled.

The men released the backboard from the cables and ran as quickly as they could as the ground beneath them crumbled.

The people below the ground couldn't hear Hodgins and watched the commotion above. All of a sudden rocks of all sizes began to rain down upon them. The group scattered, many of them diving into the frigid waters.

Brennan stood there her exhausted body not wanting to budge. She stared in shock as a large rock fell straight towards her. Jared saw her just standing there and charged towards her. He tackled her but a second too late. The rock came crashing down impacting them both as they hit the water.


	19. Chapter 19

Hodgins watched as his worst fear happened. The ground shook beneath all their feet. Men scattered everywhere. The weight of the men assisting Booth and Booth himself had been too much. The sandstone was too unstable. He could hear the shouts of the people below. All he could do was hope that the whole cave didn't crumble. He prayed that his friends would make it out safely.

It seemed like an eternity before everything became still and silent. He yelled at everyone to stay back as he crept towards the opening. He could see many more fissures in the rock face so he tapped his foot before each step. He called out toward the hole as he grew closure, but received no response. H

He could feel the panic rising as he became close enough to peer down the hole.

They could hear a rumbling sound. Everyone froze and then those closest to the mountain began running in all directions. The forensics team that had been on the mountain collecting evidence from the bomb began shouting as the side of the mountain once again came crashing down.

Angela fell back into the seat behind her, her jaw dropped, and she just stared. _Had they had enough time to get out?_ That was her one and only thought as tears once again began to fall.

Caroline didn't know how much more her old body could take. Enough time hadn't passed to get all those people out. She wasn't even sure if there was enough time to get any of them out. Instead of one man they may have lost several.

The side of the mountain settled, she heard a nearby radio requesting for a type of roll call. They were checking for casualties

Hodgins peered into the hole. A few moments later he saw the people begin to surface. His panic began to recede. They were going to be ok. He could see that the mass of the rocks and dirt and caused the water to rise. What was once waste deep was now up to their chests.

Sweets was the first to come up gasping for air. Followed my Cam a second or two later. One by one they began to surface. They all looked around warily seeing the aftermath of what had happened around them. The water had risen due to the collapse of many rocks around them.

Wendell silently did a headcount. "Where are Dr Brennan and Booth's Brother?" He asked as he began searching around him.

Hodgins had heard Wendell's faint question and his panic rose again. He jumped to his feet and started yelling commands to the people surrounding the area.

"We have some injuries down there guys, they are going to need medical attention. We can't add much weight over here so anyone over 200 lbs stay back. I'll keep watch and let you know what we will need."

The medics already began working on Booth. They examined his injuries and wrapped him in blankets and heating pads. Their monitors showed his heart beating every 30 seconds or so. They gave him a shot of adrenaline directly into his heart to try and increase his heart rate. They intubated him to make sure oxygen was getting into his system. They informed Hacker that things didn't look good for the man. The lack of oxygen to the brain could cause severe and permanent brain damage if he survived at all.

The group spread out searching for the 2 missing. The once clear area was riddled with debris making the search more difficult. Cam saw a red tint in the water a few feet away.

"Oh my god." She muttered wading quickly over followed by Mike and Barrows. They dove under the water searching for the source of the blood. They rose to the surface with an unconscious Jared in their arms. He had a large gash on the left side of his head.

Cam checked his vitals. "He isn't breathing." They leaned him onto the large boulder Booth and Brennan had used as part of her escape. Cam began CPR as all the men dove back in the water to search for Brennan.

It was Wendell who had spotted her first; he waved and kicked to get the other men's attention. They swam over, through the murky waters they could see her bleeding and pinned under a fairly large boulder.

Jared began coughing and sputtering as he expelled the water from his lungs. "Tempe?" He said breathlessly.

The other men briefly surfaced to refresh their air supply and dove under again.

"Stay here." Cam said sternly to Jared and went to join the other men.

They evaluated the area to see the best way to release Brennan without further injury. Wendell motioned for Cam to stay with Brennan and for the men to move the boulder. They all nodded.

The men surfaced Mike and Barrows took in air and went under again to get under the rock to lift. Wendell, Sweets and the other two men stood on either side to pull and push, hoping they could lift it enough for Cam to pull Brennan free.

The men struggled. They were moving it but not enough the free her.

Cam's lungs felt as if they would explode. He surfaced and then dove back down. She could feel her emotions trying to overwhelm her but fought them back.

Jared becoming more aware joined the group. He wasn't about to just lie there. They were obviously doing something. He submerged and saw an unconscious Brennan with her right shoulder area pinned under the boulder. A rush of adrenaline hit him. His brother almost died and still might to save this woman. He obviously cared for her and Jared did himself.

Jared saw a stalagmite a short distance away. He planted his feet against it and pushed himself in the side of the boulder holding Brennan. He dug his shoulder into the jagged rock, still pushing with his legs. Slowly the Boulder began to roll. Cam saw the chance and grabbed Brennan pulling her away.

The group surfaced gasping for air. Jared grabbed Brennan and threw her over his shoulder much as he had done with Booth. He gently laid her where he had been a short time before. He checked her vitals and began CPR. Mike tended the open wounds on Brennan's head and neck as Cam tried to stop the bleeding of Jared's head.

"Come on Tempe… come on. You can't give up. Seeley didn't give up so you can't either." He breathed twice into her mouth. Seeley would never forgive him if anything happened to her.

Hodgins looked down at the scene below. He silently willed Brennan to wake up. He would never be able to tell his pregnant wife. He called Hacker closer to him. He informed him what was going on below and requested radio silence. He told them they needed to start getting people out of there. The two men Hodgins chose to be near the entrance suited up in safety harnesses just in case they had a repeat of earlier events. Hodgins harnessed himself as well. He was going to be a dad, he couldn't take any chances.

He called to the group below and told them they should keep their distance, that when the harness was lowered down they needed to secure themselves and call up to them to be raised.

The group of people shifted their locations with the exception of Jared, Brennan and Cam. Jared refused to move her and continued to try and resuscitate her. He had felt some liquid release into his mouth during one of the breaths; he knew he was making process.

Cam told the others to go first. They would continue to work on Brennan until they had no choice but to go.

Wendell and Sweets Let the others go first, they didn't want to leave their friends. When it came down to the two of them they argued. Cam staunched it and said the youngest would go first. Wendell was half way up when Jared finally saw Brennan take her own breath. He checked her pulse and it was weak but there.

He looked up and said a quiet thank you. He pulled the unconscious woman into his arms. He whispered into her ear. "Stay with us, Seeley is going to need you. "

They managed to get everyone else from the cave without any more incidents. Brennan and Booth were taken by helicopter and Jared transported by the team.

At the hospital Caroline, Hacker, Jared and the team sat and waited anxiously to hear news about their friends.


	20. Chapter 20

**Author's note – Almost done with all the suspense, the story will head in another direction very soon. This chapter is another short one, but I thought it needed to stand alone. Please send reviews/ I love them and the more I get the more inspiration I receive.**

Broadsky sipped at his morning cup of coffee watching the 9 o'clock news.

_This just in. A cave in at George Washington National Forrest has claimed three lives, injuring 7 others. It is reported that an FBI agent died while waiting for rescue during a previous cave in. During a rescue attempt it is rumored that his partner who had previously escaped the cave was killed during a 2nd cave in as well as a rescue worker caught in a landslide. Police have not yet released the names of the killed and injured until family can be notified._

Broadsky felt a small amount of remorse over Dr Brennan's death. It reminded him of Paula. They were both innocent, but collateral damage. He had not wanted to kill the woman, when he had heard of her survival over the radio he had been a bit relieved.

Stupid woman insisted on trying to save her Partner. She was Loyal too. If Booth would have just listened none of this would have had to happen. Why should he care that he was removing the filth from this world. These weren't innocent people he was killing. They were all criminals.

You would think being a sniper and in the FBI that Booth would have appreciated what he had done. Hell, he had killed the woman who almost killed him and his partner. He should have been thanked, not have a gun pointed at him.

The next day he picked up his morning paper. The front page contained a large photo of Temperance Brennan.

_**Successful Author and Forensic Anthropologist Dr Temperance Brennan Dies Heroically**_

_Dr Temperance Brennan died in a cave in yesterday when struck by a falling Boulder. Two days earlier she and her Partner FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth were injured during a cave in. Despite their injuries Special Agent Booth assisted Dr Brennan's escape to retrieve help. Dr Brennan half clothed, due to using her clothing to make bandages for herself and Special Agent Booth, walked miles through the night through rain, sleet and snow. She was found unconscious on the side of the road. She returned with rescue workers to lead an expedition to save her partner. A second landslide occurred during rescue where Dr Brennan was struck by a rock and drowned in water that had collected in the cave. Her partner died before rescue was completed. The funeral will take place at 2pm two days from today. The funeral will be open to the public._

The article went on to describe her literary works and her field of expertise. Broadsky thought for a moment. The only FBI agent that knew him was Booth, not that he thought many agents would be there. He would have to scout the area. He felt a strong desire to pay his respects to the woman.

Two days later, most of the Jeffersonian and fans assembled for the funeral of their esteemed colleague. In the front row were the family and team mates of Temperance Brennan. Broadsky had been right; he didn't see any sign of FBI presence. He moved to stand towards the rear of the crowd, quite a turn out for the socially inept woman.

Promptly at 2pm the service began. It was a good service if you liked those kinds of things. With these two out of the way, they would never catch him now. Other then the fact that he was responsible for these three deaths, he doubted law enforcement would care. He was helping them; of course he was paid much better. Broadsky mingled into the group to pay his respects. He walked by her father who leaned heavily on a cane. Father's shouldn't have to bury their children.

Broadsky felt a sharp pain across the back of his skull, then another and another. He tried to shake the disorientation in his head, but fell to the ground. He could hear the commotion and felt several impacts to his ribs as he was kicked.

Brennan's father had done his research, he found a couple decent photographs to recognize the man. He didn't care if the FBI had agents scattered about. He was going to take care of the man who had hurt his daughter. He struck the man with the cane he had brought with him. He kept hitting him until Hodgins and Dr Sweets took it away. He continued his assault with his feet until, the undercover agents swarmed the area. They promptly handcuffed the injured man and detained the angry father.

At long last the sniper had been caught. Brennan and Booth's friends and colleagues all wish they had been able to get the satisfaction that Max had been able to get. All of them would have liked to have a piece of the man, but they all respected the law and those who enforced it more than Max Keenan. Max had improved though. The last person who threatened his children's safety ended up stabbed, gutted and burned.

Jared had chose not to attend the funeral as he knew he would have no self control if he had seen the man. After what the man had done to Seeley and Temperance, the man would not have made it away alive.

Cam phoned to notify him that Broadsky was in custody. He stared at the bottle of scotch sitting on the counter of his brother's apartment. He shook his head. No he couldn't go down that road. Seeley would be pissed if he began drinking if he were there.

He had never really looked at his apartment before. He saw so may little things that no one but he would find the significance in. Little things that brought back memories from their childhood.

The team went back to the lab. They needed to go over all the bodies and evidence to try and find something to connect Broadsky to all these crimes. They had the arms dealer to say he created the smart bullet, but since it was never used it was circumstantial at best. The only definite crime they had was him blowing up the trailer and injuring booth. The FBI forensics team was trying to match bomb fragments from the mine to that bomb as well. They wished they were the ones evaluating the evidence.

After everything that has happened, they wanted this man to go down for everything. They hoped for the death penalty. The team was exhausted. They had been through so much already. The funeral was enough to suck what life they had left out of them.

The lab seemed empty, almost foreign to them without Brennan's presence. Booth's presence was well missed as well. Six years they had worked together. Six years they learned to respect and love each other. They were a family

**Author's Note - not to fond of the next couple chapters, but i fought with them for 2 days. last update for today will update again tomorrow.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Author's Note - I don't really like how this turned out, but it stumped me for a whole day. Please review and let me know what you think.**

She thought that the funeral service was beautiful. She was surprised at the number of people who had come. She couldn't help but smile at the thought that another funeral had ended in a brawl and an arrest. It wasn't the first time. Maybe that would become a vicious cycle.

With that thought a wave of sadness drifted through her. She doubted that the team would continue to assist in homicide investigations. They had all gotten accustom to the excitement of the cases. Could they all just go back to working on museum pieces?

How could they go back to working cases? Cases that get people hurt and killed. This case had endangered them all. No one was safe. This wasn't the first time, but she believed it would be the last.

They could work with anyone, but they didn't want to. They had warmed to Booth over time. He had earned all their respect and affections. Who would want to take that chance again? You open your heart and you get hurt, that is a fact.

The only satisfaction she had at the moment is that they had caught Broadsky. She'd have preferred if he would have been killed after everything he had done, but you couldn't always have everything.

She turned off the laptop; she watched the video of the funeral live. The FBI had done a wonderful job hiding all the remote cameras, as well as disguising the FBI cadets as scientists and interns. It was brilliant not to use seasoned agents; they could have tipped off the observant sniper.

She had to smile at Max's actions. He had gotten many good hits and kicks in before he was subdued. She wished she had been there to do some damage herself.

She heard a firm knock and then Hacker walked into the room. She was a bit disappointed. He wasn't the FBI agent she wished to see. She really wasn't in the mood for any guests. People were babying her. She was a strong capable woman. She didn't need or want their pity.

"Everything went down pretty smoothly. Your father was released from custody once we secured Broadsky. He is pretty spry for his age. He assaulted several cadets and agents trying to get loose. No charges will be filed, of course." Hacker announced.

"Yes, my dad may be aged, but he has a high spirit. In many cultures throughout the world the patriarch is considered the protector of the family. My father takes the security of his children very seriously." She explained.

"So when are they letting you out of here?" He inquired

"The doctor said he would like to have me stay one more day for further evaluation." She stated

"I would be more than happy to drive you home, and if you should need anything I am willing to be at your beck and call." Hacker said in the same tone that he always used when trying to ask her out on a date.

"Thank you but Angela and Hodgins have already volunteered to provide that service. I think I will enjoy the time to myself without constant interruptions from doctors and nurses. Many things have occurred this week that my mind needs to come to grips with" Her mind drifted to Booth and she felt a wave of sadness move through her. She masked her emotions well from the agent in the room. "I am feeling rather tired, watching your own funeral is rather exhausting." She lied, but she didn't want to talk to this man any longer.

"Oh, of course. I have some other things that need attending anyways. Get some rest Temperance." He leaned over and kissed her on the forehead before leaving.

He left the room and Brennan savored the silence of the room. She stared out the window and admired the sunlight. She wished her bed was closer to the window. She wanted to feel the warmth of the sun's rays on her skin.

The events from earlier in the week darkened her thoughts. She shivered as she remembered how cold and wet she had been. She was never one to have nightmares, but she found that every time she closed her eyes she was back in the cave.

In the better dreams Booth would not be injured and they would climb to freedom together. In the worst, she watched him suffer and die in so many ways.

The only part of the whole event that gave her peace was their confession of love. No one would ever know, and if anyone should ever ask her of her feelings she would deny it profusely. There was point in it now. Had Booth made it out of the cave alright, she would have played off her indiscretion anyway.

She hoped that the FBI would handle the whole situation appropriately. She is sure that not everyone at the funeral was privy to the fact she wasn't actually dead. She wondered what they would put into the Newspapers. She had read online that her book sales had risen; she surmised that those who ran out and bought them only because she was supposedly dead would be quite irritable. The most important people, those that mattered knew the truth. They had all been to see her, all avoiding the subject of Booth.

Conversations didn't flow like they used to. There were so many awkward silences. It seemed like they went back in time, like all these years of working together hadn't happened. Yeah the details were all there, the memories, the knowledge of each other, but the comfort level had disappeared.

She wondered if they would ever get that back.

She wanted to go home. Being in the hospital was just a constant reminder of everything that happened. She had injuries, but nothing life threatening. She considered signing herself out, but she knew the earful she would get from Angela.

She knew they were going over all of Broadsky's victims at the lab. She wanted to be there to help. She wanted to be the one to find the links they need to put the needle in his arm. Dc doesn't have the death penalty but Virginia does. If he didn't get death she strongly considered paying inmates to make his life hell.

Brennan began trying to make plans for her future. With her expertise she had options. She would see what it was like when she returned, but she was almost certain she would need to move on.

She soon found that she was quite tired; she closed her eyes and drifted into slumber. Visions of Booth filtered through. They started full and vibrant but then drifted to her memories from the cave. She jolted awake with the sight of his pale lifeless face still etched firmly in her mind.


	22. Chapter 22

**Authors note - this one is short, but i wanted to touch on how the group was feeling. The next chapter will tell what happened with Booth. Please read and review. it is inspiring :)**

Jared had to go make the arrangements for Seeley. He didn't feel like he should be the one doing it. He was his brother, but after becoming adults they really didn't interact all that much. He had others much closer to him. People who were local that knew him so much better. He was blood but they were his true family.

He flipped through his brother's rolodex. He thought it would be better if he could get everyone together to make the final decisions. Temperance would be the one he would think best, but she had refused to see him since the whole ordeal, except to say thank you for saving her life.

He didn't want her thanks; he only did what was right. Sweets had told him that her attitude towards him could be related that both of the Booths had saved her and blamed herself for what had happened to them. That it probably stemmed from guilt over the situation. It sounded reasonable, but he was never much into the psychological mumbo jumbo.

None of this was Tempe's fault. It lies all on that Broadsky fellow. He is the one all the blame should be placed on. He jotted down some numbers. He would ask for their input. Seeley deserved the best. The next day everyone had agreed to meet at the diner to discuss the arrangements. Angela and Hodgins said they would bring Brennan but didn't know if they could get her to stay. This was the most Jared could ask for.

It seems the incident caused a rift in all the friends. Each was trying to cope in their own way, but they couldn't seem to bring themselves together. Tragedy could go in two directions; it would either bring people closer or tear them apart.

They wanted to talk to each other, but each one carried guilt over everything that happened. They even had feelings of blame towards the others.

Cam  - I knew it wasn't like Dr Brennan to not stay in contact. I should have decided to look into it sooner. If I hadn't waited so long things wouldn't have turned out like this. If Brennan hadn't been so abrasive with the local rangers, Booth wouldn't have sent them away like that. There would have been witnesses or people checking in.

Angela – I told Cam I didn't like it that Brennan hadn't called. I should have been more assertive about it. I should have insisted she looked into it. I should have done it myself. Brennan was her best friend; she may never cope with all this. She was already shutting her out. She was surprised she had conceded to allow her and Hodgins to bring her home from the hospital. She barely talked to any of them when they stopped by the hospital to visit. She was receding so far into herself.

Hodgins – I should have listened to Angela. I should have done something. We all knew Dr Brennan couldn't not be a major part of an investigation. She would have called frequently to check on our progress no matter how busy she was. We all put it off. We could have been there sooner. I should have found a better way t excavate the area. Maybe I could have found a way to secure the area better. Lives were in his hands and he blew it. People were hurt and killed because of his inadequate actions.

Sweets – He should have addressed their issues more completely. He knew Dr Brennan had control issues. He knew Agent Booth had a hero complex. If he had helped them through these, they may not have been put into the position they were. If he had profiled Broadsky better maybe they would have been on a higher alert.

Wendell – I should have volunteered to go with them. Once they knew how many bodies they could be dealing with he should have gone to help. They could have called someone else to work in the Lab. If they had had more help things would have been better. They wouldn't of had to be separated. He had wanted to go, but his fear of implying Dr Brennan wouldn't be able to handle it all over shadowed his desire. He couldn't even find links between all the bodies to at least get retribution from all the events.

Caroline – Damn that man and his heroic acts. Damn that woman for being so stubborn. When the found Broadsky's latest victim she should have went and hunted them down. That team of theirs should have known something was wrong. When didn't the good doctor not have her nose in everything? She didn't like many people, but she had grown to care about those two. She had found herself hoping they would find themselves in each other's arms. Crying shame what happened. It affected so many.

Brennan – How could I have not heard what was happening. I pride myself on my intelligence and I didn't even here the explosion. If I had paid more attention I could have ran and Booth would have been safe. If I weren't so belligerent to the park rangers there would have been people there to help us. If I didn't make Him feel so awkward we could have left and been at the hotel. There were so many things she could have done differently to change the outcome. Her shortcomings almost ended both the Booth men's lives.

Jared – I wish I had taken the time to get to know my brother. He had done so much for me when I was a kid. He had always taken care of me. Then I grow up and I just leave to do my own thing. Even though Seeley didn't have the safest jobs in the world he had never imagined anything like this could happen. He never thought that they wouldn't be able to get together and catch up.

The group started filtering in slowly. Angela had called Jared to let him know they were running behind because the paperwork was delayed by an emergency. They hadn't told Brennan what was going on and hoped she would stay. They all needed each other to heal, but they were all having problems taking the first step. Jared hoped that in getting everyone together it might help. They had all been silent at the funeral. They had all known the plan. But the sorrow over everything was real. Like the death card doesn't always mean actual physical death, things as they had known them had come to an end.


	23. Chapter 23

**Author's note - hopefully this chapter will get me off many people's hit lists. Please let me know what you think. **

He took a deep breath and stared at the large white board that has been brought into his room. He looked at all the photos and read all the information. It just wouldn't click.

He heard a knock on the door and looked to see who was entering. The man had been there earlier that day; he dug deep trying to remember his name.

"Agent Thacker, I wasn't expecting you to come back today." He greeted with a slight slur to his words. He got frustrated at the sound of his own voice. He knew he didn't naturally speak that way.

"Hacker, my name is Hacker." The other man corrected.

Damn at least he was close.

"I wanted to congratulate you. The information you gave us made the mission a complete success." Hacker stated.

Information? What information? He could feel his anger building. If he were paranoid he would swear this was some kind of experiment. If they weren't American he would swear he was being help prisoner.

Hacker could see the agitation and confusion on his face. He grabbed the chair from across the room and sat it next to the bed.

"Let's talk." He said. The doctors said he needed familiarity and repetition to aid in recovery. "Can you tell me who you are?"

He rolled his eyes and answered the question. "I am Master Sergeant Seeley Joseph Booth."

"What year do you think it is?" Hacker asked.

"1997" he answered.

"Do you know Jacob Broadsky?"

"Yeah he is an army buddy of mine." He answered again, getting irritable over all the stupid questions. Still angry over the way his voice wouldn't cooperate with his brain.

"Ok. You were in the army, but you no longer are. You are a special agent in the FBI. It is 2011. You have a son named Parker and he is 14 years old. That is his picture right there." Booth looked over at the photo marked Parker. "Your partner is a Forensic Anthropologist named Dr Temperance Brennan. She is also here in the hospital. That is her right here." Again Booth looked at the photos. "Jacob Broadsky had gone rouge. He was killing people that he considered got a slap on the wrist from the law and executed him with his skills he learned in the Army. You were trying to catch him and he decided to take you out of the picture. He caused a landslide at a crime scene and injured you and Dr Brennan

"You suffered severe hypothermia as well as multiple fractured bones. The doctors said that due to the lack of oxygen to your brain caused anoxic brain injury. The loss of memory and other symptoms you are experience are the cause of this injury. You are lucky that you were not left in a vegetative state. You have surprised many of the doctors here. Anyway, when you woke up we explained what Broadsky had done and you gave us the information we needed to catch him. You told us that he would experience some remorse by the death of Dr Brennan and that he may choose to attend her funeral as long as law enforcement presence was not evident. So we faked a funeral and we caught him. We wouldn't have been able to do it without you. That is why you are the best agent we have out in the field."

Booth thought about all this information. It was hard to believe any of it. He felt the pain in his body, but the whole situation sounded like something you would see on some tv show or something. This kind of thing just doesn't happen for real.

Hacker saw that Booth was trying to process the information. "One of the problems with your memory other then the loss of 14 years is that once you wake up, you haven't been able to retain the information from the day before. The doctors believe it may be getting stored in your memory but due to the damage you just can't access it. They believe that seeing familiar people and items and repetitiveness will help in the healing process. I understand how frustrated you must feel about all this."

Booth stayed silent. He was getting tired, but he was afraid to go to sleep. According to the doctors and this guy if he slept he would wake up and not remember anything. He breathed deeply trying to let everything sink in.

"Can I be alone?" Booth finally asked.

"Of course. If you need anything all of your friends and relatives numbers are written there. The nurses will be glad to assist you." Hacker returned the chair to its original place and walked to the door. He felt bad for the man. He hoped that he would get it all back. He had lied, he couldn't imagine how he was feeling.

Booth closed his eyes; trying to recite everything he had been told. He tried to recall everything from the white board.

He heard the voices again. It was always when he closed his eyes. He could hear distinct voices speaking to him. One he recognized as his mother, some others were guys he had known in the Army, but there was one voice he could never place. It was a woman's voice. She kept saying 'I love you too."

He couldn't tell anyone about the voices. They would lock him up somewhere and throw away the key. Though how he felt about the whole situation, he should already be there. Not like he could go anywhere now. He was wrapped up like a Christmas present and had a cast on each limb.

She loved him too, that means he had told her first. He wondered who it could be. There were no photos labeled as his girlfriend.

The fact that he was hearing voices of people he knew to be dead was even more disturbing. His mother always voiced encouraging words. She told him everything was going to be ok. That she knew he wasn't ready and she would be waiting for him when it was time. His army buddies were always supportive as well.

How could he lose 14 years of his life? How could they disappear like they never happened? He lost a whole career. He had a kid. If he had to lose years, why couldn't it be his childhood? There was plenty there he would love to forget.

He was so lost in thought he didn't notice Jared entering his room.

"Hey, Seeley." He said.

"Jared, finally a familiar face." He could see that his brother wasn't the age he should be in 2000. He was the only thing that made any of this even seem close to real.

"Do you remember what we talked about yesterday?" Jared asked hoping that his brother would say yes.

Seeley tried to remember yesterday, but all he could recall was his last target. He wasn't allowed to talk about that.

"No." he answered sadly.

Jared sighed and wiped his face with his hands.

"How are you feeling today?" Jared asked highly disappointed.

"I don't even know how to explain that. Can I ask you a question?" He changed the subject.

"Sure, shoot." Jared replied.

"Do I have a woman in my life? You know, like a girlfriend or anything." He inquired.

Jared wasn't sure how to answer. He knew he and Temperance were close, but he wasn't sure if they had anything else going on. "I don't know." He answered figuring no further explanation seemed appropriate.

That disappointed Booth quite a bit. Not so much that it sounded like he didn't have anyone special, but more to the fact that he and his brother had drifted far enough apart that he didn't know the answer.

He looked at the notes on the board. He wondered why he wasn't with his kid's mom, Rebecca.

Booth began feeling odd. By the time all the alarms from the hospital equipment sounded he was unaware. Jared watched as his brothers body began to stiffen and shake. He ran from the room yelling for a doctor or nurse.


	24. Chapter 24

Jared paced the hallway while waiting for the doctors to finish their examination. He had done his research on anoxic brain injuries. He knew seizures were a possibility but since it had been a few days since he regained consciousness. The doctor said that since he woke up relatively quickly that the damage didn't seem as severe as it should have been. They told him that full recovery could be possible in time, but that when it came down to brain injuries nothing was ever certain. Seeley might just have to build a new life instead of stepping back into his own.

They wanted to observe him for at least a few more days in case there were any latent damages. Jared felt bad. He needed to get back to work soon; he needed to get back to Padme. At the same time, his brother was going to need help. He knew his brother would want to go home. The doctors had suggested a rehabilitation community, but Seeley would be miserable there. He had called several home health care companies to find out information on their services.

The FBI were footing the bill since it was an on the job injury. Hacker had told him they would follow any decision that Jared would make.

He hoped that after the shock of it all wore off that Seeley's friends would come around and be more receptive. They would come in for short visits, they never stayed long. He could understand it though. They all were dealing with their emotions. They all saw his brother as big, strong and damn near indestructible. They had worked with him for years and see him come out unscathed. They each loved him in their own way. Now he looked at them as strangers and they all blamed themselves in some way.

It was hard for him to see his brother this way. He was always so confident and now here he was lost and confused. He couldn't share stories of all the lost years. Rebecca was afraid at what the impact on Parker would be so she doesn't want to bring him by. It was surprising to Jared that Booth's boss of all people seemed to be trying to get through to him the most.

Hacker told him that Seeley was his best agent. He wanted him to come back to work, even if he wasn't in his previous capacity. He had already contributed to the capture of Broadsky, which showed the man that though the memories were lost his skills were highly evident.

Jared hoped that his brother could get his life back in any aspect possible. His bones would heal but he wondered if he would ever find the lost time.

Booth was exhausted. His body wouldn't respond to his requests. Everything hurt. He looked around the room disoriented. The lights cast an eerie glow to everything he could see. The doctors were looking in his eyes and they were speaking to him, but he couldn't comprehend what they were saying. He tried to ask what was going on, but all that came out were grunts.

Slowly the doctor and nurses exited and Jared returned to the room. He could see the worry lines that plagued his features. He fought to keep his eyes open, but his eyelids were so heavy. He drifted off into his dreams.

_He searched his surroundings; he was confused to where he was. It was dark, he was surrounded by rocks. He could hear voices, but they were so faint he couldn't hear what he was saying. He wandered down the passageway. He came to a waterfall. The waterfall was bathed in the brightest light he could ever remember seeing. Inside the light was where the voices were coming. He could see the outline of figures in the light. The most prominent voice grew louder._

"_Seeley, my son. Don't be afraid. We are here to help you, to help you through this horrible ordeal. It isn't time for you to join us just yet. We know now that you still have so much to do. So many people still need you, son. It will be a long hard journey but you will make it through. _

"_It is all about love, Seeley. Love will show you the way. Follow your heart where ever it leads. Sometimes it will cause you pain, but in the end it will always be worth it. You always question yourself. You harbor so much guilt, but it is unneeded. Everything you have done was done with honor and loyalty. That has always been how you lived your life._

"_When you need us we will be there. We will help give you strength. I have always been with you Seeley. I have always been watching over you. I love you."_

_With that she faded back into the light. Behind him in the darkness he heard another voice. Another woman. She sounded afraid. She was crying. He was drawn to her voice. He could feel warmth emerge inside his chest. 'I love you too.' Joy sprung from him with those words. He knew he loved the owner of the voice. He searched the cave for her. He could see the shadow of her form, but he could not see her. She kept moving, just out of his sight. Then all went black._

_He was now in a building full of offices. He wandered down the empty hallways looking in each room, until he came to a room that had his name on the desk._

_He walked in and looked at everything that decorated the room. This was his, but nothing looked familiar. He opened the drawer and pulled out some files. He read through what he saw. He was an FBI agent. Many of the reports in the file made mention of a handful of doctor, the most frequent name mentioned was a Dr Brennan._

_He felt a vague familiarity to the name but other than that he had no idea who any of them were. He obviously interacted with him quite often. Why couldn't he remember? He had always prided himself on his intuitiveness and his memory. Again everything went black._

_This time the blackness didn't lead to anything, just a jumble of voices. He could hear the laugh of a young child, conversations that contained his own voice he tried to focus but too much was going on._

He opened his eyes and looked around the room he was in. He saw various equipment placed throughout the area. 'Hospital' he thought to himself. What was he doing there? He looked down at his body. Both arms and legs were in casts. He could feel a bandage around his head. His torso was stiff and sore. 'What the hell happened?' He dug through his memory. All he could remember was being in the dark, and he was very cold.

He saw a large white board across from the foot of his bed. He looked first at all the photos.

He saw a child labeled Parker – son, the next was of a beautiful blond woman labeled Rebecca – mother of son. He went through all the faces, Temperance Brennan, Angela Montenegro, Camille Saroyan, Lance sweets, Andrew Thacker, Wendell Bray, Vincent Nigel Murray, Clark Edison, Colin Fisher, Arastoo Viziri, Daisy Wick, a number of faces labeled as Special Agents. Why were all those faces there. In the middle of the board he saw the words:

**Anoxic brain Injury:**

Cognitive problems include:

• Short-term memory loss. Most people with HAI experience short-term memory loss; the problem is extremely common when a hypoxicischemic injury caused the HAI. The person cannot remember new information which has just been presented. The part of the brain responsible for learning new information is called the hippocampus and it is very sensitive to a lack of oxygen.

• Poorer performance in executive functions. The executive functions include judgment making, reasoning, and processing information. The person with HAI may become impulsive and indecisive. He or she may lack the ability to concentrate or to focus on more than one task.

• Anomia. This term means having difficulty using words or processing what words mean. The right word may not be remembered or a word may be placed out of context. Sometimes the opposite word is used; for example, a person wanting to say "sunny" may say "cloudy" instead. Common words may not be understood.

• Visual disturbances. The person with HAI may have trouble processing visual information. They may find it difficult to focus or they may reach for an object, but not be able to touch it because they are reaching in the wrong place. Rarely, HAI causes cortical blindness; the eyes are normal, but the brain cannot process visual information and so the person cannot see. Oddly enough people with cortical blindness may act as though they can see, even though they seem unable to identify objects, colors, or shapes; this because the damaged part of the brain is unable to realize that it is damaged.

Physical problems include:

• A lack of coordination. This is called ataxia. The person's gait may be wobbly; they may weave or stagger like someone who has had too much alcohol.

• An inability to do common tasks. This is known as apraxia. The person may be unable to remember the sequence of common tasks like brushing the hair or drinking from a cup.

• Movement disorders. The person may experience spasticity, rigidity, and myoclonus (muscle spasms). The patient may have involuntary movements, jerky movements, or trembling.

• _Quadriparesis. The person may experience weakness in all four limbs._

• Headaches.

Anoxic brain injury can also cause confusion, depression, hallucinations, delusions, personality changes (such as increased irritability), and the inability to concentrate.

A lot of that didn't make much sense to him, but he knew it was referring to him. He must know all these people. He was in the FBI, he wasn't sure how he knew, but he did. He didn't remember being in the FBI, but he could remember an office. His office.

He was deep in concentration that he didn't notice a soft knock on the door. Three people entered the room and the man cleared his throat to get Booths attention.


	25. Chapter 25

"Booth?" one of the females called to him, when he didn't respond.

He looked over to the small group. "Angela?" He asked to the smiling woman standing in front of the others. A smile erupted onto her face. She ran to him and gave him a hug.

"Sweety! You remembered." She exclaimed with tears in her eyes.

He saw the other woman's head lift at Angela's declaration. He felt a little ashamed of himself at that point. "I'm sorry." He said. "I had just looked over all the stuff on that board."

Her smile faded. "Oh. No, it's my fault. I had just hoped is all."

"Can you tell me what happened?" He asked.

"Well we don't have a lot of time. We have some plans, but we can help with the cliff notes version." She said.

Angela and Hodgins pulled up chairs. Brennan stayed put in front of the door without speaking. The married couple went through the basic details of how Booth ended up in the hospital. They watched as the information slowly sunk in, but saw no real recognition to any of it.

He looked to the woman at the door; he could hear her trying to hide soft sniffles. "Is everything ok, Temperance?" He asked genuinely concerned.

His words sent the woman fleeing from the room as fast as her crutches allowed.

She had never hated hearing her given name more than at that moment. He almost never called her by that name. He only used it emotional times. Bones, she was always Bones. She had hated it in the beginning, but she had grown used to her nick name, she even found it endearing.

A few days ago this man had been revealing all his deepest feelings to her, now he didn't even know who she was. She had argued for years for him not to call her Bones, and now that was all she wanted to hear.

At least now she wouldn't have to deny her feelings for him, she didn't have to deny her confession. He didn't know her. He didn't love her. He knew nothing other than a name attached to a photograph.

A few moments later Angela and Hodgins exited the room. They had tried to explain that Brennan was still emotional over their experiences of the accident. She hadn't shared everything with them, but Angela's sixth sense gave her an idea of what it was all about.

She rushed to Brennan and took her into her arms. The soft cries turned into sobs. The couple wanted to get their friend to talk, but they knew now wasn't the time.

"Why don't you spend a couple days with us, Sweety?" Angela asked trying to console her friend.

"Yeah, Angela can use some company. She has been taking time off with the pregnancy." Hodgins added.

"No, no I really need to get home." Brennan answered gaining back her composure. "My editor wants me to write a piece to explain, the situation of why my death was faked."

The couple was disappointed, they had wanted to be able to help their friend.

"A bunch of us our meeting at the diner. You have to come." Angela said. "I am not taking no as an answer."

Brennan nodded. It might be good to have some normalcy back in her life.

As they pulled up to the diner, Brennan felt her chest tighten. This was one of their places.

They walked inside and she saw Jared sitting in their usual spot. She didn't want to see him. She had almost ended both of the brothers' lives. They were both living out the consequences of her unawareness.

Angela grabbed her hand and pulled her toward the table. Jared looked up and smiled, but it didn't reach his eyes. Within five minutes everyone arrived and they ordered their meals.

"I know this is tough on everyone and I hate to ask, but you all are the ones closest to Seeley. He is going to be released in a week or so and I really need to get back home. The doctors have recommended a hospital in Richmond that has inpatient services for people who have experienced brain injuries. They are in the top 20 choices for rehabilitation with a high success rate." Jared explained.

"Wait… you want to just send him away?" Angela asked completely aghast.

"I don't want to. I know the Seeley I know would hate that, but I don't know what I can do. They specialize in that kind of thing. I have to get home; I can't afford to lose my job. Padme and I just don't have the room for another person right now. I don't think I would be able to take care of him like he needs." Jared said letting his head fall into his hands. "That's why I wanted to talk to all of you. He is my brother, but we all know we aren't that close. You guys are his family, not me."

"The doctors said that being around things that he knows, can help him. He won't know anything there." Angela argued.

"They ask that everyone make videos for him and that he have pictures, and we write down are own memories for him." Jared added.

"Oh so if he accidently reads a biography on Lee Harvey Oswald he might go around picking off presidents when he gets out." Hodgins added sardonically.

"I don't want to do this damn it! You guys are the smart ones. Tell me what the hell to do. I called some home medical programs, but they said they aren't equipped to deal with his type of problems. They are all for changing diapers, giving baths, but not one wants to babysit a man that won't remember them the next day. The hospital will teach him how to adapt. They will teach him how to organize information to help him make it day to day. Eventually with all the medications they have him on they hope he won't need it, that things will start to stick."

The group looked around at each other. He was right they were a group of highly intelligent people and had access to some of the world's most brilliant.

Angela and Hodgins exchanged a look. They spoke to each other with their eyes. Hodgins gave a firm nod and Angela turned to Jared.

"We will take care of him." She said in her most definitive tone.

Brennan, who had been sitting staring at the table in front of her, turned and looked at her friend.

"Yeah, we can do this." Sweets added. "All we need to do is contact these doctors and research what we need to do. I can help him psychologically and teach him patterns of behavior."

"I can help with some of his more medical needs." Cam announced.

"I will have the baby soon so I can watch him most days and Hodgins can help in the evenings. If none of us are available we can hire someone to sit with him. I will work on some computer programs to exercise that brain of his." Angela added.

"Hey I am only at the lab part time; I can stay with him when I am not there." Wendell volunteered.

"I can review cases with him time to time." Caroline stated. "Get him in the grind of crime again."

Jared stared at the group in amazement. They truly were perfect for him. It made him feel unworthy of being Seeley's brother.

Brennan had sat in silence. She didn't know what she could do. She didn't know if she had it in her to do anything.

"I'll take care of his apartment and financial arrangements." she finally said. "He has to stay at his apartment. That is his home. He needs his own home." She mumbled.

Angela smiled at her friend. This would help her too. This would help them all.

"So it is settled. We will keep you up to date on everything, but he will stay with us." Angela declared.


	26. Chapter 26

**Author's note - Ok who besides me loved tonights episode. This is all I have written so far. Hopefully i will get tons done after the inspiration from the episode :)**

**Anyway. please drop me a note and let me know what you think. **

After the group finished their meals they went their separate ways. Sweets decided he would go to the hospital and see Booth. He knocked on the door and went inside. He could see that Booth was concentrating deeply on something.

"Penny for your thoughts?" He asked

"Just thinking." Booth said, his slur a bit thicker then the last time sweets had been by.

"Want to talk about it?" Sweets tried.

Booth couldn't talk to anyone about what was on his mind. He couldn't talk about the conversations he was having with his mother.

"No I am fine." He answered

Same old Booth, he and Brennan always used that phrase when things were bothering them.

"You know you can talk to me about anything. I am always here for you, and I won't ever pass judgment."

"I work with you right?" Booth asked.

"Yes, well sort of. I help with the psychological aspects of some of your cases. I would like to say that we have become friends."

"So you are a shrink?" He asked next.

"Yes, I am a FBI psychologist." Sweets answered.

"So tell me what I am like these days?"

"Well, you are very good at your job. You have a rather unusual partnership with Dr Brennan. Not Many agents work that closely or consistently with consultants. You have a good sense of humor, which you sometimes use at the expense of others, but not in a cruel way. You work a tough job and you sometimes use humor as a coping mechanism. You devote as much time as you can to your son and are a very dedicated father. You are a protector often risking yourself for the wellbeing of others. You had a rough childhood which I believe is what stems your protectiveness. You were a successful sniper in the army before joining the FBI. You pour every ounce of your heart into every case. Those who oppose you find you to be a force to be reckoned with, but to those who know you see your loving and sensitive side. I once saw you single handedly take down three armed possible secret service agents, just to help us when we were forcibly detained in the lab. You have been injured many times protecting people you care for.

"You are a private man, you don't share much of you past, but you try and make up for things you have done in the line of duty by taking murderers off the street. You have a slightly rebellious side in which you express by wherein odd socks, ties and belt buckles. At the moment, your closest relationship is with your partner Dr Brennan. "

Booth listened intently to the young doctor. He was a bit disappointed when he said that he didn't have a romantic relationship. He heard a female voice say she loved him. Maybe he was going crazy.

"Why am I here? What happened? He asked. He was fairly certain he had already been told, but all he could remember was being cold in the dark.

Sweets slowly went through all the details that he knew of the case. Of course, he had a feeling Dr Brennan was holding some things back. By the time Sweets had finished the story through to Broadsky being caught, booth looked very tired.

"Would you like me to go so you can get some rest?" Sweets asked.

"No." Booth answered a bit to quickly for Sweets liking.

"Is something bothering you Agent Booth?" Sweets asked not masking his concern.

"It's… it's just that I have dreams and then from what I'm getting from everyone that when I wake up I won't know anything. One of the nurses said that I have been here 5 days. She has seen me for 5 days and I never remember seeing her. I remember growing up. I remember the Army, but I am missing 14 years of time. 14 years of living is completely gone. Every time I go to sleep I miss another day. I don't know my son. I don't know any of these people who say I am their friend. I sent a woman crying from the room and I have no idea why." Booth admitted showing his frustrations.

"Who was the woman?" Sweets asked.

"Temperance." He answered.

"And you called her by her name?"

"Yes, that's what the board says." Booth answered pointing at the board of photos.

"oh, wow, who made that? You never call her by her name. You call her by the nickname you gave her. Bones." Sweets took a marker and added the nickname.

"Why would I call her that?" He asked confused.

"She is a forensic anthropologist, she isn't FBI. You gave her the nickname because she works on bones. She hated it at first but I think it has grown on her. She is carrying guilt about your injuries because you saved her. Calling her by her actual name is just a reminder that your injuries are potentially long term."

"Oh, and from what you said we are close… How close exactly?" Booth asked nervously.

Sweets thought for a moment on how to answer this. Everyone who knows them believes they have feelings but won't admit it.

"Both you and Dr Brennan are private people. Though many of us see an attraction for each other, I do not think you have acted upon that attraction." Sweets answered.

"Do I love her?" He asked simply.

"Well… I… wow… um… from outside looking in I do believe you have strong feelings for her."

"I died right? If I died once and thought I was going to die again, do you think I would tell her I loved her?" Booth asked again.

This was not the Booth Sweets knew. Maybe he lost his inhibitions with his memory.

"I believe it could be a possibility." Sweets answered honestly.

"Does she love me? Or would she tell me she loved me because she thought I would die?"

Wow another one. Could this be what Dr Brennan was hiding?

"Dr Brennan is an overly honest person. I don't believe she would lie to you. Where are these questions coming from?"

"I dream about being in a cold dark place. I hear voices there. One of them is a woman's voice saying she loves me."

"Do you know who the other voices are?"

"I… I don't want to say."

"Please Agent Booth, maybe I can help you."

"They are people who I know are dead. They are in a light. One of them is my mother." He answered giving Sweets a wary look.

"I see. What do they tell you?"

"My mom does most of the talking. She tells me she knew I wasn't ready and it's ok. She says stuff about working for love but it will take time. That things will get better. She tries to comfort me, they all do." Booth figured if he told him it was only in his dreams he wouldn't think him crazy. He left out that he was hearing his mom's voice almost all the time now.

"If I ok it with your doctors, do you think you would be willing to go under hypnosis? Maybe your memories aren't gone, but suppressed."

Booth thought about it. He didn't want anyone to know he was going crazy, but the thought of a chance on getting even part of his life back was appealing,

"I guess we can try. When do you want to do it?"

"I need to make some phone calls. I myself am not fluent in hypnosis; I would like a colleague who has been more successful do it."

Sweets made a few phone calls and set up the meeting for later that week. The doctors requested that brain scans be done during the session to monitor brain activity,

Booth was a little disappointed. He was hoping it would hev been able to be done now. Tomorrow he probably wouldn't remember any of this.

Before Sweets left he added more information to the board . He also told Booth he would work on making some notes for him to read daily that may help.

Sweets was proud of himself, he had gotten through to Booth. He was more open now than he had ever been. With this new found openness he felt he would be able to make progress. He felt confident he would be able to help his friend.

Now if he could just get through to Dr Brennan.


	27. Chapter 27

Brennan's cell rang, looking at the caller id she hit end and sent it to voicemail. She knew Sweets would want in her head and she wasn't ready for that, she doubted she ever would.

Everything that happened in the cave was one thing the aftermath was completely different. Her Booth was gone. The man in the hospital, he was a stranger. It took almost 7 years for them to get to a point where they had confessed their feelings. Feelings she regretted sharing. She couldn't trust herself.

She knew him and what he needed out of life. She wasn't like him. He lived by emotion, her logic. Very incompatible in her mind. He had spiritual connection, she had facts and science. Again not compatible. It didn't matter how well they could get along. They would ruin everything if they tried for more then what they already had.

They could never sustain a romantic relationship. She didn't even believe in romance, not like he did. She didn't form emotional bonds like her friends did. She always kept everyone at arm's length. She knew it transpired because of the issues of abandonment from her family. She didn't need Sweets to tell her that.

She didn't have to worry about that any longer. Booth didn't even know who she was. She had denied her feelings for so long now, she could continue. She was able to compartmentalize. She would tuck her feelings away and pretend that nothing ever happened.

Tears began to well up in her eyes. Part of them both had died in that cave. She took this time to mourn.

Brennan didn't know how long she had cried. A knock on her door brought her back to reality. She wiped her face and walked to the door and peered out the peephole. She took a moment to compose herself, masked her face and opened the door.

Angela and Sweets could tell she had been crying. They slowly walked into her apartment. Sweets had already informed Angela of parts of his and Booth's conversation. He thought the bond between the two women could help in the conversation that he needed to have with Brennan.

Booth remembered nothing of his current life; accept what seems to be dreams of Brennan. He imagined that the rest of what Booth was experiencing was due to his spiritual beliefs. He had died and his subconscious was deriving comfort from those who he would imagine be waiting for him on the other side. The only thing he found puzzling was the fact that Booth could remember he had died. He would have to work on that segment later. For now, he believed Brennan would be the key to Booth's recovery.

He had edited the tape he had made when he went back to the office. He only kept the information of Booth speaking of hearing someone say she loves him. This could be the breakthrough they neded if only Brennan will cooperate.

"Is everything ok, Sweety" Angela asked.

"Yes I was sleeping when I heard your knock." Brennan answered coldly.

"Dr Brennan, I asked Angela to come with me, I am hoping that we could talk for a moment." Sweets informed her.

She glared at the younger man with disdain in her eyes.

"Dr Sweets, if I had wished to speak with you I would have answered your phone calls. I wish for time alone to recuperate from recent events."

"I know that you need time, but Agent Booth needs our help and I believe you are the key."

At the sound of his name her eyes darted to the floor.

"Agent Booth has had a dream, which we believe may be a memory from when you were both trapped inside the cave." He informed her.

"I do not wish to talk about any of that!" She shouted at him

"Sweety, I have to agree with Sweets here. If something happened in there that can help bring Booth back to us we have to try." Angela interrupted. "I know you are hurting. We all are. But he needs us."

"I would like for both of you to leave now." Brennan said and walked to her door and opened it.

"If you won't talk, will you at least listen to this?" Sweets asked setting a small recorder on the table near her door.

With that they left. They heard the door slam behind them. Tears came to Angela's eyes. That was not her friend.

Inside the apartment Brennan stared at the recorder. Her curiosity told her to listen, but her rational side told her it was better if she didn't know.

She began thinking she should leave. Maybe take a vacation to gt away from all this. She couldn't deal with all her friends, their friends.

She heard another knock on her door. She walked over and swung it open in anger.

"I thought I told…." She started.

Her father stood in the hallway a little shocked at his daughter's actions.

"Sorry dad, I thought you were someone else." She apologized.

"I saw some friends of yours in the parking lot. Are you angry with them, Honey? Max asked.

"Yes… No… I don't know what I am, Dad. I have never felt so lost before. They want me to talk, but I can't. I can't deal with all this right now." She said, letting the tears fall free.

"Oh Honey, I'm sorry." He said pulling his daughter into his arms. "Everything will be ok. You just need time. You and Booth were very close. It is understandable that you are in pain. All of you are hurting."

"They want me to listen to a recording of Booth. They said he might be remembering something and need me to let them know." She cried into her father's shoulder.

"Well if it's something important then I think you should." He said.

"I just don't know if I can. It's my fault he was injured. He wouldn't be in this condition if it weren't for me. I want to help, but every time I think about it…"

"I know. I know. But I know Booth, he has no regrets. He would do it all again even knowing the outcome. I think you owe it to him to listen to what was said. I think you owe it to both of you. You need to heal too. Keeping everything inside and hiding won't help anyone. From the sound of the greeting I received it seems it is just going to drive everyone away." He soothed.

"I know, you're right. I am being selfish." She said drying her tears.

"What if I listen with you?" He asked

Brennan debated this. What could it hurt? She knew her father's loyalties lied with her. He wasn't linked to any of the others.

"I… I suppose we could do that." She answered

Max grabbed the recorder and pushed play. Booth's distorted voice was heard asking questions and Sweets giving him semi vague answers. Brennan's tears began again. Max laid the recorder down and held his daughter.

"I know you love him. I know he loves you too. All this time I have been waiting for you two to get together. So when you were trapped… did you finally tell him?"

"He thought h was going to die, he already had. He wanted me to know how he felt, because he thought we would never see me again. I… I told him I loved him too. It was the last thing we said to each other." She explained.

"And you don't want to tell the others why?" He asked.

"I am not the right person for him. He needs love; he needs a person with an open heart. Someone who can love as deeply as he does. I am not capable of such emotions." She cried.

"Sweetheart, don't you see. Everything you are feeling now are those emotions." He explained.

"I need him in my life dad. Not want… need. If we try and fail, which we almost definitely will, I will lose what we have. I can't risk that." She argued.

"I see what you have. I see what you could have. Love like that won't go away. It won't fail, it can't fail. Tempe, I have no doubt in my mind that the two of you are meant to be together."

"What does it matter, Dad. He doesn't even know who I am. He associates my face to a labeled photograph on a board in his room."

"He might be able to get it all back. Don't you think you owe it to him to at least try?"

"I will consider it. I just don't know if I can handle it. I feel like he has left me. I feel like he died in that damn hole in the ground. That man in that hospital is not Seeley Booth. He may look like him but it isn't him. That recording itself shows it. Booth never discusses his personal life with anyone."

"He does with you. He trusts you. He confides in you because he loves you and you confide in him for the same reason. Please Tempe, please take a leap. We will all be here for you if it doesn't work. Besides, it will give you a chance to reconnect. He may never get his memory back, but I read that the other symptoms, specifically the short term memory loss should fade over time."

Max could see he was getting through. He didn't want to push much harder for fear she may retreat from him.

"Why don't we go get some dinner, my treat?" He said to break the tension.

"I would like that." She answered.


	28. Chapter 28

**This one is short but I thought it needed to stand alone. It looks like my readers are dying down. I may just end this sooner then I had planned. If interest has been lost I can move on to something else.**

**Please review.**

**After dinner with Brennan, Max decided to go see Booth at the hospital. When he walked into the room he could see the man staring intently at the board filled with photos and information about his life.**

**Just fixed A typo. ty Bookwormlady for pointing it out.**

"Evening Booth." He stated.

Booth looked to the man and then back at the board. His photo wasn't located on the board. He could see Booth looking at him questioningly.

"Hello?"

"Hi I am Temperance's father Max. I'll see if they can get you a photo, if you don't mind me coming by to see you." Max stated.

"Why wouldn't I want you here?" Booth asked.

Max winced when he heard the slur and how slowly the man spoke. He didn't hear the vibrance and tenacity he would usually hear coming from the man.

"Well you did arrest me for murder, but we do actually get along." Max said with a smile. "Let me explain. One of your Bosses wasn't a good man. He tried to shoot my son at the diner while eating with you. He broke into Temperance's apartment where he was killed. I was acquitted of all charges. You were actually the essential key to my daughter letting me back in her life. I never thanked you for that. I also want to thank you for protecting her. I made you promise me that you would, and you have never failed in that."

"You're welcome?"

"My daughter means the world to me. I could never do anything to thank you enough for everything you have done for her." Max said sincerely. "I lost her years ago and you helped bring us together. From what I understand you have been blown up, shot, all that just happened and so much more to keep her safe."

"So I am a good man?" He asked earnestly.

"Booth, you are probably the best man I have ever known or will ever know. Why are you questioning your character?" Max asked.

"I have all these notes and I hear what people have told me today, but people keep telling me about how good I am at my job, that I have skills, and some have mentioned bravery and such like that. But I know things that I have done early in life. I know my early history and now I am over 40 years old and I have a kid, but I have never been married and I am not with anyone. All these people that come talk to me are my friends. I don't hear anything negative from them. They make me out to be someone I know I can't be." He explained.

"Look son, I don't know a whole lot about you, but from everything I have witnessed you are dedicated and honorable. You arrested me and my son because you had to. At the same time you made allowances to help us whenever you could even though it went against your duty. You let my son go to the hospital to see his sick step child. You found people to stand up for him in order to get I lighter sentence. You made a Christmas with our family while we were incarcerated. You even took some of your time with your son to make our Christmas complete. Those are not things that a bad man does. Do you think I would ask you to take care of my only daughter if you weren't a good man?"

Booth smiled slightly. "I guess not."

"My daughter cares a lot about you. She would be right here by your side day and night if it didn't hurt her to see you like this. She thinks it is her fault that you got hurt this way. You got her out of the way and the landslide crushed you. She will kill me if she knows I told you this, but she is in love with you, she is just afraid. I am afraid that is my fault and I am sorry for that. I am working on her though."

"She loves me? So I am not crazy?"

"No son, you're not crazy, but if you asked her right now she would probably deny it or skip around it. She has been deeply hurt in the past. She has closed herself off to protect herself, but you have been whittling away at her all these years. She has opened up more to you than anyone ever has. She went back in to look for you even after she was injured. She broke down afterwards. All those people on that board and more love you and respect you." Max explained. "I would be proud to have you as a son-in-law someday."

"Thank you, Max. I would be honored to have you here anytime, though I may not remember tomorrow. Please have someone bring that picture by. You are definitely someone I want to remember. Can you tell me more about her? Maybe write some stuff down for me that she won't get angry about."

Max and Booth talked until the nurses announced he had to leave because visiting hours were over. Booth felt better after talking to Max than anyone else he had spoken to since he woke up today. He prayed that somehow he would be able to remember all of this in the morning. He had been able to avoid the voices the whole time Max was there.

Though the voices tried to be comforting, they unnerved him tremendously. He hadn't heard his mother's voice since he was a little kid. He would like to think that she was sent by god to help him through this, but it also scared him. He was already stuck in the hospital; he didn't want a padded room. One of the symptoms mentioned hearing voices, maybe that was it.

He found himself fighting sleep, he didn't want to forget. Bones loves him and deep down he knew he loved her too. If only he could remember. Thought of her ran through his mind as he drifted off to sleep. Once again his dreams were full of voices and clues to his past.


	29. Chapter 29

**Author's note - Sorry for the long delay. Have some problems with my wrist and had to take a break and put it on ice. I managed to fill my time With our favorite male lead and began watching Buffy and Angel since i haven't watch in years. Watch a few of his movies as well. I have come to the conclusion that he can not seem to get a role with a good relationship in it. He gets jilted at every turn. Anyways I hope you enjoy the chapter. Let me know what you think. I will try and get the next update out as soon as I can :) **

The next few days went much the same. Max continued to visit Booth every day. Everyone kept trying to get Brennan to visit, but she adamantly refused.

The dreams came to Booth whenever he slept and every memory except for the dreams was erased when he woke.

Booth continued to have seizures more frequently. After a rather severe one the doctors decided to use titanium plates to secure many of his fractures. The tensing of the muscles had once again fractured his healing bones. Instead of casts he now had splints. The doctors said he should be on his feet a bit sooner then before.

"Well just think of how much fun you can have going through any medical detectors" Hodgins joked trying to make light of the situation. Booth had to admit that loosing the extra weight made things a bit easier.

It was just a few hours before Booth was scheduled to go under hypnosis and everyone had decided to visit for moral support, everyone except for Brennan.

Booth looked at all the faces on his board, then to those in the room. He saw every face, but one. He must have done something bad for her not to be here like everyone else. He wanted to ask, but with such a big crowd he couldn't. It felt too personal, though he was unsure why.

All these people exchanged stories about him. He felt sad because they each smiled as they recalled their memories and he didn't even know their names until he compared the photos to their faces. The only person he knew was his brother and even some of what he was sharing was unfamiliar. Many of the stories revolved around the woman who never came. The picture of whom he had a hard time pulling his eyes away from.

Booth had never even liked it when he went out and drank too much and couldn't remember details of the night before. According to these people, almost 15 years disappeared in the blink of an eye, or rather in his case a little nap.

He had to admire these people. He had a book in his room that they signed each day and wrote things down for him for when he woke up each day. Some things were repetitive, yet not one seemed the slightest it annoyed. They looked sad when he asked them questions. It obviously hurt them that he did not remember.

They told him when he was released they would take him to his home. They were working on a schedule for him and his care. He felt like such a burden to them all, but each argued when he mentioned maybe he should go away to a hospital.

Angela had told him he was family and that family takes care of family. She told him he needed to be there when her baby was born and that he had already agreed to be the baby's godfather. What kind of godfather would he be when he would have to be reintroduced each day. Poor kid he thought.

Sweets announced to everyone that they needed to start preparing for the hypnosis and everyone wished him well and filed out the door.

Booth watched as some machinery was wheeled through the door. He closed his eyes and listened to his mother's soothing voice as they attached sensors to his head in various locations.

Sweets and the doctor who introduced herself as Amelia set up a camera and voice recorder near his bed. They wanted to document everything and use it for further treatment.

Booth's nerves were on end. Sweets thought that this might trigger his memory. Booth had mixed emotions. Part of him was thrilled to the possibility of getting his life back, the other side afraid of the things he might want to keep lost. The topside was that if he was let down, he wouldn't remember in the morning.

Unknown to the three occupants in the room, they had an eaves dropper at the door. She had frequently come to visit booth unbeknownst to the others. She never entered the room, just checking in through the crack in the door. She couldn't keep herself away, not after talking with her father, but she hadn't had the strength to walk through the door.

She listened intently as the hypnotist began. She didn't know what she would do if he remembered. She wasn't prepared for the implications of the truth to their confessions.

She wasn't one to believe in love like he did, but she found her life feeling empty in his absence. He believed in forever, she believed in the moment.

She watched as Booth slipped into a hypnotic state. "Seeley, can you hear me?" Amelia asked.

"Yes." He answered. Brennan's heart skipped a beat hearing Booth's distorted speech in person.

"Can you tell me where you are?"

"Hospital."

"Do you know why you are in the hospital?"

Booth's brow crinkled. "Cold, very cold. It's dark. Everything hurts."

"Can you remember how you got hurt?"

"Rocks, the rocks, they were falling. Bones. Bones!" He started hyperventilating while he yelled. Brennan felt the tears welling up in her eyes. He was being crushed and he was thinking of her.

"Easy Seeley, calm down. You are not in the rocks, your bones are fine. Can you bring us back before the rocks?"

"He wasn't speaking of his bones, he nicknamed his partner Bones." Sweets whispered in his friend's ear.

"We are at a cave. Hikers found bodies. Rangers messed with the scene. Bones is mad. I cleared everyone out and after she processed some of the scene I talked her to going to the hotel but left a guard on scene. The hotel only had one room. I didn't want to share. Being alone with her is hard. She was in the shower and I made arrangements for us to camp at the site. Being this close to her is almost unbearable. I've been considering breaking the partnership. She looks so beautiful. Had a hard time sleeping with her so close.

"I woke up and she was cuddled into me. I pretended to sleep, I was afraid to wake her. I felt bad. I felt like I was taking advantage of her in a vulnerable state. I had fantasized about this, but this wasn't consensual. The alarm went off and I fell off the bed.

"We went to pick up all the stuff I ordered, and then to the crime scene. I set up camp while Bone's was working. I went and looked around for a while. I made dinner. We ate. Bone's said the skeletons weren't fitting right. She was confused about the dates. I knew something wasn't right. I went out to clean up. I felt like I was being watched. I looked around but I didn't see anything

"I went back inside and decided to search more of the cave, wasn't any help to her. I walked until I found the waterfall. It looked beautiful. I could see the water building up pretty quickly. Needed to tell Bones, we needed to hurry at the crime scene before it was under water. I saw a shadow move over the hole above me. I knew something bad was going to happen. I started running back. As soon as I saw her I heard the explosion. I ran and grabbed her to get her out of the way. I couldn't let anything hurt her; I couldn't live with myself if anything happened to her.

"I feel so much pain; the rocks are falling, hitting me everywhere. Bones!" He began hyperventilating again.

"Calm down Seeley. Bones is fine. She is safe. You aren't there. You are here with us and safe. You are only watching. Tell us what happened after the rocks fell."

"I see her. Everything we ever did together. It wasn't my whole life, only my life with her. I could hear her voice. All our conversations. Her laugh. Then it all went away and I heard my mom. She wanted me to go with her. She was in the light. I wanted to go with her. I miss her. I couldn't go. Bones was in the dark. I couldn't leave her. I could hear her crying and calling me. I told my mom I was sorry, I couldn't go with her. The pain was worth it to be with her.

"When I opened my eyes she was there. My whole body hurt. I just wanted to go back where I was, but she needed me. I had to get her out. She could get out by the waterfall. She ripped up our clothes to make bandages. It was so cold, but I had to help her get out. It would be to long before anyone would figure out we were in trouble. The water was going to rise. She set the bones she could and splinted them. We walked back to the waterfall. The water was getting deep. The ledges that were climbable were too high. I needed to get her high enough. I felt my life draining away. I knew I wasn't going to last. I had to tell her how I felt. She always felt so alone; I had to tell her how much I loved her. How I have always wanted to be with her. I told her everything. I told her to let Jared know I always had faith in him, and to tell Parker I would always be with him. There were so many things I wanted to tell so many people, I knew I'd never get the chance.

"We climbed on a rock, and I lifted her up. I could feel all my bones giving away. One final push and she was there. I felt my leg give way in pain. I fell in the water. My body tensed and I never felt worse pain. She wanted to come back down, I told her she had to go. Down here we would both die, up there we had a chance; I knew she had the chance.

"She said it back; she said she loved me too. I found comfort in that; I found new strength to try to get back to where it was dry. I had to at least try to survive, but it was ok if I didn't as long as she was ok. I made it. I kept my leg in the water to help slow the blood. The bone broke through the skin and was bleeding pretty heavily.

"I heard my mom again she brought others with her. They still wanted me to go with them. The closer I was to them, the duller my pain. Pain meant I was alive. I focused on Bone's last words. They kept me strong enough not to just follow them. I hated choosing between them. I loved them all.

"The water kept rising. I was drifting in and out of consciousness. I kept moving, but I was running out of energy. I knew at any time I wouldn't wake back up. I pulled myself as far as I could onto the dry floor. I wedged myself between some rocks so I would stay upright. I needed to try and protect myself. I went back to the place between the light and the dark. My mom never left me.

"I woke up in the hospital. Mom keeps trying to help me. Says she understands why I chose not to be with her. That she would always be waiting for me, for when I am ready. I don't remember stuff though. That scares me. What's the point of living if you can't remember anything that you have done? It's like being frozen in time."

"Seeley, what do you remember now?"

"Everything, I think. I don't see any gaps."

"Tell me about your mother? When do you see her."

"I don't see her, I do when I am not awake or conscious, mostly just her figure in the light. I hear her all the time. She tells me things. She tries to help me remember. She tells me about love and life."

"Seeley, I want you to concentrate on all your memories. I want you to hold them close to you. When I count back from 10 I want you to wake up. I want you to remember everything that you know now. Ten… you have your memories. Nine… your mind is clear and your memories strong. Eight… you begin to feel your body. Seven… your memories are clearer than ever. Six… You can move your fingers and toes. Five… your past is complete. Four… you feel your limbs growing stronger. Three… your mind is strong. Two… you feel and remember everything. One… you are awake."

Booth opened his eyes. Brennan didn't know how to feel. Everything that transpired between them was on tape. People knew what she had said in a moment of weakness. Due to his obvious fractured mental state, with the hallucination of his mother, she could easily deny her indiscretion.

"Agent Booth, what do you remember." Sweets asked trying to hide the hope in his voice.

A slight smile appeared on Booths face. Everything. "I remember everything."

"Yes! I knew it. I knew it would work?"

Brennan slipped away unnoticed. She wasn't ready to deal with the situation.

Sweets sent a text to everyone letting them know the news. Within thirty minutes everyone, minus Brennan, showed up to celebrate.

Max and Angela took turns calling Brennan, but all calls went straight to voicemail.

"I want to really thank you all for everything you guys have done. Especially you Max." Booth announced.

Max blushed slightly as he smiled at the younger man. "It was my pleasure."

After a while of joyous conversation, Booth grew tired. It had been such a long day. Fear filled his mind at the thought of going to sleep. He was terrified if he went to sleep everything would just disappear as it had before, she didn't come. He needed to see her. He vaguely remembered seeing her once since he had been in the hospital, but he could be mistaken. Everyone told him that she was fine, but he had to see her with his own eyes. He had to hear her voice. He wanted to tell her so many things.

His guests could see his exhaustion on his face. Slowly they began excusing themselves until only his closest friends were left.

Angela leaned in to give him a gentle hug. "She will come, Booth." She whispered in his ear.

The group finally filed out the door leaving him alone in his quiet room. He closed his eyes and waited for his mother's voice to sooth his nervousness, but it didn't come. She had said she would stay as long as he needed her. Didn't she understand he still did? Just because he could remember didn't mean he didn't need help.

Bones wasn't coming. Why was she refusing? Was Max mistaken in her feelings? Just to see her would bring him so much comfort. He knew that as long as she was in his life he could do anything. Maybe he had scared her away with his confession. Maybe her own confession was done out of pity and not love. Right now he didn't care as long as he could see her, to look into her eyes. Yes he loved her, but that wasn't important. He knew now that he was blessed to have her in his life no matter what their relationship was.

He wished the TV were on, some noise to drown out the screams of his thoughts. He closed his eyes and began singing silently in his mind.

Brennan peeked through the crack in the door. He looked so peaceful she had thought. Not the restless sleep she had witnessed on other occasions. She quietly crept in the room and sat in the chair closest to his bedside. Silent tears rolled down her cheeks. She wanted to reach out and touch his face, but didn't want to disturb him. She couldn't identify the emotions swimming through her body. Could this be the love, he so often described to her.

She sat staring at still form, when all of a sudden his eyes opened. She froze hoping he wouldn't notice her. He stared at the ceiling for a few moments, and then his eyes began drifting around the room. When his eyes fell on her he too froze. He couldn't believe his eyes. He thought it to be another hallucination.

"Bones?" he whispered afraid if he spoke loudly she would disappear.

"Yes." Was all she could muster for fear she would lose control and begin sobbing.

"Is it really you?" His voice quivered with his own emotions. All she could manage was a nod to keep a hold of herself. "I am sorry if I did something to upset you." He added

That was the final straw for her. The tears broke free and streamed down her face. He was apologizing to her, when all she wanted was to beg for his forgiveness.

She leaned in to hug him, her tears soaking the front of his gown. He wanted so much to hold and caress her, to bring her comfort, but the splints and bandages held him in position.

"No Booth, I am sorry. I am so sorry you have had to experience any of this." She sobbed.

Tears flooded his own eyes as he felt her pain.

"He wasn't after you, it was me. I should have taken him out when I had the chance. I should never have let him put you in danger."

She pulled back and looked into his deep brown eyes. They were so raw and full of emotion. For a long moment they looked into each other's eyes. Their eyes spoke what their words could not convey. She leaned closer and gently pressed her lips to his. The kiss grew deeper and a soft moan escaped her lips. A feeling like electricity jolted through his body. Every muscle tensed and he began to convulse.

Shock and fear ripped through her. She pressed the call button and frantically waited for the nurse to arrive. It seemed forever before his body stilled and he lay week in the bed. His eyes met hers and everything that was there a few moments earlier was gone.

The nurse entered the room, and Brennan made for a quick escape.


	30. Chapter 30

Brennan felt crushed. She saw the emptiness in Booth's eyes. She could see that the seizure wiped everything away. She couldn't help but feel that the kiss caused too much stimulation and was the cause of the seizure. Again she caused him to lose everything. She was unaware of the number and severity of the seizures he had already.

She went back to her apartment and locked herself into her room and cried. Her father arrived a few hours later and knocked on the door. He could hear his daughter trying to stifle her sobs, but she refused to allow him entry. He sat outside the door and tried to get her to talk but was only greeted by her sobs.

He was sure he would be able to get her to talk once she calmed down. It was probably just the surprise of Booth's memory returning that had her upset. She would have to face him without being able to hide. He had always seen the attraction between them. A man would have to be blind deaf and mute to not notice. He was surprised it took them this long to finally admit it to each other.

"I will be out here when you decide to talk, Honey. You know I am always here for you." He said through the door.

Booth felt like he was hit by a large truck. He saw an angel when the fog clear but she had run away in tears. The next thing he saw was a nurse checking him over. He was in a hospital, but he couldn't remember why. His head was pounding and his vision blurred.

"Go to sleep my son. You will feel better when you wake." Said a soft voice.

Booth recognized his mother's voice. He couldn't understand how he was hearing her, she died so long ago. He listened to what she said and closed his eyes and became absorbed in his dreams.

_He drifted back to a home; he had spent years trying to forget. He wandered over to a mirror and gasped at what he saw. There he stood as a small child. If his memory served correct he was maybe 6 years old. He surveyed the room and saw Jared around age one pulling up on the coffee table and begin toddling across the room. _

_He walked over and grasped his brother's hand. "I am here little brother." He could hear heavy coughing coming from his parent's room. He picked Jared up and walked into the room. _

_The scene before him made his heart ache. His mother's skin was ashen. The towel she coughed into was covered in blood. The bandana that covered her bald head had slipped to the side. Booth put Jared down and walked over and straightened the bandana. He rubbed his hand across her face and she smiled._

"_Hey, baby." She said weakly rubbing her own frail hand across the bruise on his cheek. A tear slipped down her cheek."He wasn't always this way. He just doesn't know how to handle all this." She explained._

"_It's ok Mommy. I am a big boy." The small boy said puffing out his chest a bit._

"_I know. You take such good care of me and Jared. You make me so proud. I know you will always be the protector of those you care about. You have a big heart and I never want you to lose that. I want you to promise me you will never change. You make sure that Jared grows up to be a good man, like I know that you will be. Take care of him; he is so young, he won't remember. I will always be with you when you need me most."_

"_I promise, Mommy. I promise that I will never let you down." Said the boy._

_Young Booth jumped as he heard the front door slam. The noise startled Baby Jared and he fell down behind him, pulling the runner on the table, the contents on the table crashed to the floor. Booth's father stormed into the room reeking of alcohol. Young Booth stepped in between his brother and father and began apologizing._

_The older man grabbed the boy by the collar of his shirt and through him across the room towards the door. The young boy crumbled to the floor. Booth's father then went to the boy and grabbed his hand and drug him from the room, never noticing the baby on the floor. _

_Tears fell from the sick woman's eyes. She had no strength to help her son. Her husband had not taken her illness well. He had begun drinking and took all his frustrations out on Seeley. She could hear the sound of her husband's hands striking the boy, but he never cried out. He never begged for mercy. He took the beatings in silence until his father grew tired and left him alone. _

_The house grew silent after several minutes. The sound of the door opening and closing was heard. Not long after young Booth returned to the room. He looked worse than he ever had before. He walked with a limp and favored his right side. He held his arm around his ribs and blood trickled from his nose and mouth. Her heart ached for the boy. She didn't have much time left and she knew it. She could only hope that when the burden she imposed was lifted that her husband would once again be the loving man he once was._

_The boy picked up his brother and left the room. She could hear the children's bedroom door close and then sound coming from the kitchen. Soon after she could smell the scent of food as her son prepared the families dinner. _

_A short while later he entered the room dragging his brother's high chair behind him. He retrieved the younger child and secured him in the chair. On his tray he placed a plate of vegetables and fried eggs. To his mother he brought a bowl of soup and then returned with his own plate same has his brother's. They ate together in silence until his mother dropped the spoon from her weakness. He set his plate on the floor and stood next to his mother. He grasped the spoon and began feeding her the broth._

_When they finished he cleared all the dishes and returned with a wet cloth to wipe his mother's face and hands. He then went to run a bath for his brother. He bathed his brother and put him to bed, then started the dishes. He finished cleaning up and returned to his mother's side. _

"_I am sorry Seeley, I am so sorry I can't help you." She cried weakly._

"_It's ok Mommy, I am a big boy. I can take care of everything. I promised you I would and I will. I know Daddy doesn't mean it. He is sad. I won't let him hurt Jared, he is still little. Someone always has to help people who need it."_

"_Seeley I can't do much now, but when I go to heaven I will be strong. Whenever you need me I will be there for you. Put your faith in God. Live your life well. When you feel weak I will be your strength. Be the protector you are. That is what God wants from you. Life's choices won't always be easy. Due what is always expected and follow your heart, it will never lead you wrong." She opened her arms and he curled up into her. _

_He stayed there in her arms until he heard her breathing become slow and regular. He went about cleaning the house, and then took a shower and went to his own bed. He knew his father would be back soon and hoped he would be happy about the condition of his home and wouldn't come looking for him. _

_He stared at the ceiling imagining his future. He would join the army or be a cop someday. That way he could be what his mom wanted. He would dedicate his life to helping protect people. He would just start with Jared for now. He could help little kids at school at the end of the summer. He would be everything his mom wanted._

_The child slipped into sleep and the dream shifted to another day_

_Young Booth rose from his bed and tiptoed to his door to peer out of his room. Jared sat giggling in his crib playing with a toy. All seemed quiet and the boy opened the door and crept out of the room. He peeked into his mother's room and saw she was alone._

_He walked into the kitchen and prepared oatmeal for the three of them. He went and pulled Jared from the crib and changed his diaper. He pulled the high chair to his mother's room and secured his brother. He went and retrieved the food and poured each of them a glass of orange juice. _

_He lightly tapped his mother's shoulder to wake her for breakfast. Her skin felt cold to the touch and she didn't move. He tried to tap her again and still nothing. Tears entered the boys eyes and he frantically shook his mother._

"_Mommy! Wake up Mommy!" He cried._

_He curled up with his mother's still body and cried. He knew she was gone. He didn't know what to do. He wasn't allowed to leave the house, or use the telephone. He would have to wait until 'he' came home._

_He didn't notice the bright light that filled the room. He just laid there and cried. _

"_Seeley, don't be so sad." The voice said._

_He lifted his head and looked around. He squinted at the brightness of the light._

"_Mommy?"_

"_I'm sorry I had to leave you Seeley, but I am in a better place. I don't feel the pain anymore. I will always watch over you. I will be there whenever you need me. I know you are a strong boy and you will one day be an even stronger man. Watch over your brother always. He will need you. I love you, my sweet boy."_

_With that he felt a graze across his cheek and the light disappeared._

"_Mommy? Mommy? I love you too." _

_He dried his tears, and began his daily routine of taking care of his brother and their home. Daddy wouldn't be happy when he got home._

Booths eyes fluttered open. Tears had slipped down his face while he slept.

"I am here for you Seeley. You have become everything I knew you would. You need my help and I am here." Her voice whispered in his ear.

He took a deep breath and searched the room. His eyes fell on a board and he studied it. He also did his best to flip through the spiral bound notebook on his lap. According to the information he read, he had been what his mom had said she wanted.

"You will get it all back, my son. It will just take some time."

He looked to the ceiling and began reciting the information he had read. He wouldn't let his mother down. He had promised her when she died. He didn't break promises.


	31. Chapter 31

One by one the team had come by to visit Booth. He could see the disappointment in their faces when he had no memories. They told him of the day before when hypnosis had brought everything back. Dr Sweets had played a video of it all for him. He pressed that they schedule a second attempt but whispers from his mother and his conscience told him not to agree. They had videoed a party that had been had at his remembering. He couldn't disappoint these wonderful people again.

Earlier the doctors had discussed some experimental drugs and he thought that would be a better attempt. The drugs could help repair the connections to the brain and didn't seem like the temporary fix of hypnosis.

The group began discussing his discharge the next day. They went over the schedule and made arrangements for his physical and occupational therapy. The doctors wanted him to stay off his feet for the next couple weeks to allow additional healing to his bones. They would adjust the splints on his arms and shoulders to allow movement as long as he didn't over do it.

They all talked about their Christmas plans and Angela said she talked to Rebecca about allowing Parker to come. Hodgins would go shopping for gifts for the boy. The celebration would take place in the Hodgins's home.

Booth couldn't help but smile about all their excitement over the whole occasion. They told him stories of their different cases that revolved around Christmas. They explained their first Christmas together under quarantine in the lab. They reminisced about Christmas dinner at Brennan's and Booth couldn't help but blush a bit as Cam described the events from when Santa blew up and Brennan had to remove his clothing as evidence.

The whole group agreed that they would make this the best Christmas ever. Booth thought back over the Christmases he could remember, that shouldn't be a difficult thing for him to accomplish. He had had a few Christmases as a small child that he barely remembered that were ok. Some with Pops weren't bad, but he always felt something was missing.

The group decided to excuse themselves to prepare for Booth's homecoming and complete their holiday plans. The group filed out leaving Max behind.

"You don't have plans, Sir?" Booth asked.

"What are you doing calling me sir? I'm just plain old Max. No, no nothing that can't wait. I just thought you would like the company. I always hated places like these." Max answered.

"Thanks, it is a bit nerve racking being here alone. I keep trying to remember but it just doesn't come." Booth said with a sigh.

"So why are you giving up on the hypnosis?" Max asked.

"Did you see all their faces when they found out it didn't stick? I can't keep doing that to people. I would rather everything stay forgotten then to make them look that sad and disappointed again. Could you do that to them?" Booth explained.

"No I guess not. I'd walk to the ends of the Earth before I would hurt the ones I love anymore. I did too much damage in my time. I can relate." Max agreed.

The men sat in silence for a few minutes contemplating the people in their lives. One wishing they could forget and the other wishing they could remember.

"I read all of the stuff you wrote for me. Is there anything else?" Booth finally asked.

"Well… sure… if you don't think it would bore you too much. Christmas is a hard time. When Tempe was just 15 her mother's and my past caught up with us and we had to leave her and Russ behind. I didn't want to, but her mother insisted it was the only way to protect them. That's why Tempe is the way she is. It made her tough, but at the same time she won't allow herself to be that close to people. She keeps a safe distance so she doesn't get hurt. I will spend the rest of my life trying to make it up to her." Max said the regret deep in his voice.

"What do you think would have happened if you stayed?" Booth asked.

"Well they eventually found us, they killed her mother. You are the one who got the guy who did it. I assume that we would probably all be dead if we didn't leave them. On my own it was easy to hide, the larger the numbers the easier you get noticed."

"I can understand that, being a sniper was easier than being in a unit." Booth agreed. "If that were the case then you did the right thing. I can't remember my son, but I can tell you that I would do anything for him to be safe, no matter the cost."

Max looked at Booth with new admiration. He always knew the younger man was honorable, but that little tidbit of information shed new light. Booth arrested him because it was the right thing to do no matter if it cost him Tempe's respect. He had seen the pain on the man's face when Tempe set herself up to look like his boss's killer. He testified against her because it was right legally even though it went against his wishes. He wished his daughter would get over whatever it was that was keeping her away so she could see the truest earnestness of Booth's character. She knows him, but now there was pure unadulterated truth coming from the man's mouth. He couldn't hide anything if he wanted to. This would be just what she needed to get over her hesitations.

"Why doesn't Temperance come?" Booth asked.

"She is hurting. She is having a hard time dealing with your injuries." Max answered.

"It's weird, but I can't help but feel like I miss her. I can't even remember her." Booth explained.

"It isn't weird, you two are very close. She will come around eventually. Besides, that has to be a good sign if you feel something right?" Max returned.

"I guess you're right." Booth conceded.

"I really should get going; I want to find something special for Tempe. I plan on helping out with you when you get home so I want to make sure I get some things done. I will talk to Tempe and try and get her over here. I might stop by when I am done."

"Sure, I have some things to discuss with the doctors anyway. I want them to write out some stuff for me. Maybe find a way to be a little more self reliant."

Brennan walked into Booth's apartment. She began tidying things up while she waited for the rest to arrive. She stripped the bed and added it to his dirty laundry. She would make sure to get it done tonight and make sure all was ready when he returned home. She cleaned out the refrigerator and made note of items he would need from the grocery store. She inventoried the bathroom for anything she might need to add to the list. She already had the list of medical supplies that the doctors deemed necessary. When they were done here she would run all the errands in one fail swoop. As long as she was busy no one could bother her about visiting.

She heard a knock at the door and rushed to answer. There were the rest of her friends with more Christmas decorations then she thought could possibly fit into Booth's apartment. They all filed in and she was about to close the door when she heard her father's voice yelling for her to hold on. He was dragging the biggest Christmas tree she had ever seen.

"He supplied our family a tree. I figured the least I could do was get his." He mumbled as he pulled it through the door.

Everyone was busy with their tasks. They moved the furniture for the ease of the wheelchair Booth would be using for a few weeks. And every inch of his place was decorated. The Christmas tree was placed in the corner near a window. Max and Brennan decorated it with care. Wendell and Hodgins hung garland and bows around the walls close to the ceiling. Angela circled the windows with lights and Sweets added a tablecloth and decorations to the dining table. A wreath was added to the door and a nativity set placed beneath the tree. The friends then added numerous wrapped packages. Stockings were hung stuffed with small items.

The group looked at their handy work and smiled. They knew Booth would love it. Angela agreed she would be inside to get photos and video when he came in the door. Max volunteered him and Brennan to pick him up from the hospital. Sweets would pick up food for everyone and they would all meet here to welcome the man home.

Brennan dismissed herself to do the shopping and laundry while the rest made sure everything was perfect and finalized plans for the following day.

Brennan placed the order for the medical supplies and set up the time for delivery early the next morning. She bought all the other items from her list and a few items as presents for everyone. She brought Booth's laundry home and set it to wash.

She imagined what it would be like bringing him home. She thought about their kiss and then the look in his eyes after the seizure. He loves her, she loves him, why was this such a problem for her? Of course his memory loss was a problem; he didn't know he loved her anymore. She was so confused. She was so rarely in that state she didn't know what to do. At this point she just settled that she would just take everything as it came. What more could she do? She decided in that moment she would start from square one, like she and Booth first met. She would do her best to forget the past and look into the future.

She realized her fears of intimacy on a long term level were a manifestation of her abandonment issues. She didn't allow anyone close to her for fear they would not stay. In a sense she has lost Booth. The man she knew and loved was no more. He was lost in the cave. She grieves for this loss but at the same time she is better for having known him.

She would continue being his friend and expect nothing more. One day maybe they could once again be partners. He was the most important person in her life, he still could be. As long as any part of him was there she needed to concede and take what she could have. Everyone else sees it, she needs to as well.

With the thoughts of a fresh new start in her mind she returned to Booth's apartment to stock his supplies, make his bed and return his now clean laundry. She was growing tired and decided she would just sleep on his couch and wait for the medical equipment to be delivered in the morning. She curled up on his couch and drifted to sleep with his scent surrounding her.

Max decided to stop by and see Booth before visiting hours ended. He knocked on the door and entered. Booth smiled seeing his visitor. For some reason he favored Max above the others. He seemed to be the only visitor without preconceived notions of who he should be and how he should act. He felt comfortable around him.

"I was just thinking about you." Booth told the man.

"Really?" Max asked genuinely surprised.

"Yeah. Well I have been doing some thinking. I have a favor to ask you."

"Sure go ahead. I'll always do what I can for you."

"Well… I have been looking at this board and all the notes everyone has been writing down. I don't want to seem ungrateful for everyone's efforts but I just don't want them." Booth explained.

"Is there something wrong?" Max asked.

"It's just… These are everyone's memories of my past. People perceive everything differently. It's like at a crime scene. If you question 10 eye witnesses about what happened they all will have the basic details the same, but other details will be different based on their own thoughts and experiences. If I start to retain current memories, I don't want to base my life off what others think it was. I would rather have a clean slate to build on. If I get to live my life off the past I want it to be off what I remember it to be. If you're trying to work a cold case you're going to want to examine the evidence yourself, not entirely based off the reports of people who worked it before. Does that make sense?"

"It makes perfect sense and the fact that you are using your FBI training is even more promising."

The two men smiled.

"So I need you to get rid of all this stuff, and maybe argue my point to the others. I might not remember any of this tomorrow, but I have thought about it ever since everyone left. I appreciate all their efforts, but quite frankly it's my life. I don't want to be an actor in whatever script they have in their minds. I want to be me, even if I am not 100% sure who that is."

"I will get rid of it all and I will sit all of them down and tell them your wishes. I would think that maybe name tags would suffice for everyone to let you know who we all are. Maybe instead of memories a brief biography of everyone, just enough to explain who they are." Max offered.

"That sounds great." A frown took over the younger man's face.

"What is it, Son?" Max asked.

"I saw the tape, I told your daughter I loved her, but I don't remember any of it. I don't want to hurt her, I don't want to hurt anyone."

"Tempe understands, quite frankly I think she is glad you have forgotten that. She is afraid of relationships. As much as I would love to see you both find happiness together, under these circumstances I think all should start new, like you want for every other aspect of your life. You may not become the man you were before. Your basic character will be there, but life's experiences shape who we have become. Everyone will just have to accept that. I will sit with Tempe and all the others if they have issues with your decision. Can you write?"

"A little."

"How about if I write down your wishes and you and I both sign and we will have a nurse witness it, so everyone understands this is what you want. If you ever change your mind, we will all do what you want. You said it yourself, this is your life and we are just along for the ride."

The two men agreed and wrote up the document, the nurses were only happy to oblige. Max could imagine the fight he was going to be up against. Booth's friends all had his best interests in mind, but they needed to obey his wishes. If anything this showed that the Booth they all know and love is there. Their Booth would never allow others to make his decisions for him.


	32. Chapter 32

Brennan woke early the next morning. He dreams had been filled with Booth. Nothing inappropriate but more like how she had envisioned their new future. Her realizations the night before had given her a new vitality. She would compartmentalize the past and start anew.

She looked around the apartment and smiled. Booth loved Christmas, he would love this. She double checked everything to make sure nothing was forgotten while she waited for the delivery.

Max had made copies of his and Booth's agreement and prepared to call Brennan to arrange a meeting before Booth's discharge. He didn't look forward to it, but Booth had made this request and he would follow it through. He didn't know much about Booth's childhood, but as far as he could see he didn't have a father in his life and he would gladly step in as a surrogate. He had always kind of thought of him as a son after he realized how close he and Brennan had become. He thought he would be his son-in-law one day.

The group had been at the lab finalizing their findings. They had finally found enough evidence thanks to Hodgins to tie Broadsky to the graveyards and the cave though dirt particulates. The FBI had been able to impound Broadsky's car and they found enough to put the man away for more than one lifetime. They all felt that they could truly celebrate now. Their friend would be returning home and the man who had done all the damage was as sure as convicted.

It was almost time for everyone to meet at Booth's, Brennan had called and said her father had some things to discuss on Booth's behalf form a visit he had the night before. The doctors said the paperwork would be finished in about two hours so they all rushed around to complete their tasks.

Max sat on the couch stiff as a board. He only hoped all the scientists knew the phrase don't kill the messenger. One by one they all began to arrive, Sweets being the last.

"Ok everyone, I made copies of this." He said handing each one a copy of the agreement. "I went to visit Booth last night and he wanted my help. He appreciates everything everyone has been doing for him, but he wants his recovery to go on his terms."

Each read the paper and he could see the protests starting to surface.

"Look guys, I am going to say this like he told me and you will see that it is Booth making a decision how only he could. He told me to look at it like a crime scene. When you question people who have seen a crime committed everyone's stories don't always match. He said it is a matter of perception. He doesn't want to learn his life from you because all of you already have preconceived thoughts. He said if you guys were working an old case you would look at the hard evidence on not at the reports from other people." He explained. "He wants to be him from his perspective. If he doesn't get his memory back he wants to be him, not who all of thought he was. If his memory does come back he wants it to be his memories not yours."

The room remained quiet as each person allowed his words to sink in. Brennan was the first to speak.

"Your right, he is right. We all want our Booth back, but if he can't get to that point on his own, we will have to learn to accept the man that he becomes." She agreed.

"I think name tags for everyone is important. We can have permanent ones made for all of us and have paper ones for temporary visitors. I thought if each of us write a short biography about us and how we met and interacted with Booth would be appropriate. All factual based nothing with opinions in it. If he has questions, we can answer them, but don't volunteer information that could be viewed as corrupted by our perception. Dr Sweets, maybe you could get your hands on some old case files that he has worked on. Then he can read his own reports. Maybe we could see if he has kept any sort of journal that he can read if not maybe get one that he can start recording his days in. Maybe even a recording device." Max suggested.

Each of them agreed, though Max could see the hesitation on some of their faces.

Booth's eyes fluttered open. He searched the room and knew he was in the hospital, how he got there a mystery. He saw a board near his bed. It stated he was injured and had brain injury. Loss of memory was starred. He thought for a moment and recalled his childhood. He remembered being in the Army. As far as he knew he was still in the Army. He couldn't help but wonder what or if he had forgotten. There was nothing to give him a date. No mirror to show him his age. He just sat in confusion.

He could remember his dream from the night before. His mother was in the dream. She was leading him through a maze. Every time they reached a new turn it was a new scene. Possibly times of his life forgotten. People he didn't know but looked so familiar. He was lost in thought as the nurse entered the room.

"Good morning Mr Booth." She greeted.

"Good morning."

"Do you remember anything today?" She asked?

"No ma'am I don't. How long have I been here?"

"Two weeks, but you will be going home today. Your friends will be here shortly to come get you." She answered.

Friends? What friends he wondered. Maybe the people in his dreams. Home? He wondered where his home was. If there was anyone he shared it with.

"What year is it and where exactly are we?" He asked.

"It is 2011. Christmas is in a few days. You're in Washington DC, you were life flighted in from somewhere in Virginia after your accident."

"Accident?"

"You were caught in a landslide and had severe hypothermia." She answered.

DC? Landslide? Last he could remember he was overseas on a mission. But if this was 2011, that was almost 15 years ago.

"Thank you." He didn't want to talk anymore. He let the information sink in. Fifteen years of his life gone.

"Your doctor will be in shortly to discuss your release instructions. He has everything in writing for both you and your friends."

She finished her nursely duties as he lay there slightly embarrassed at what he couldn't do himself as well as lost in thought.

"After the doctor is done I will help you get dressed." She said as she left the room.

He hated needing help. He had been taking care of himself for as long as he could remember. Even when he was with Pops he did most everything for himself.

Who would be at home to help him? Was he married, did he have a girlfriend, kids? Not knowing killed him inside. He had been here for two weeks. Anyone in his life must have had time to prepare. He could feel the frustrations, building inside him.

"It's ok Seeley everything will work out in time." Said the soft voice.

He looked around, knowing he wouldn't see who had spoken. He recognized the voice as his mother's. She had died when he was young, that much he could remember. God must have given her to him as a guide, to guide him through these difficult times. He found comfort in that.

"Good Morning Agent Booth, I am Dr Schmidt. How are you feeling today?" The doctor spoke as he entered the room.

"Agent… uh… oh fine I suppose under the circumstances." He stumbled through the answer.

"Oh yes, you are an FBI agent. Your latest case is what brought you to us. I am sure your colleagues will explain in more detail when they arrive. These are your instructions for care of your injuries when you are released. Here is a list of your medications and your prescriptions. I am sending you home with crutches but I do not want you using them until after your follow-up appointment with your orthopedist, the date is written here. You also have follow up appointments with your neurosurgeon and a neurologist for further testing of your brain. I have printed copies of all the instructions for your caregivers here in this folder. I wish you well in your recovery Agent Booth."

Booth processed all the information. He looked through the prescriptions as the doctor left the room. He flipped through as best he could to look at all the paperwork. Looking at his body it looked like he had broken about everything. The aches and pains confirmed. He read a portion on seizures and cringed. A depression washed over him as he realized how difficult his life had become. He read how over time all the symptoms should dissipate. Should was the operative word.

The nurse who had been in earlier returned. "Looks like you're ready to leave us Mr Booth." She removed the catheter and began helping him dress in a pair of FBI sweat pants and sweat shirt. He looked at the multicolored socks she was putting on his feet and he couldn't help but wonder who on Earth had picked them out. She tied his tennis shoes and then pushed the call button to request assistance. A male orderly entered the room and they helped him into a wheelchair.

"Your friends are on their way Mr Booth. They called and said they would be here in a few minutes." The nurse said as she left the room.

Brennan and Max drove in his SUV. Max volunteered his vehicle as Booth's transportation as it has the extra room he would need and the space to carry the wheelchair.

"Thank you for everything Dad" Brennan said to her father.

"Thank me for what?" He asked.

"For everything. For showing me where my thought process was irrational. For forcing me to accept this whole situation and mostly for being Booth's voice when he couldn't be his own. I am uncertain why, but it seems he has forged the closest bond with you." She answered.

"Only because you wouldn't allow yourself to be present." He returned.

"No I think it is more than that. We are all clinical people, scientific. You are more… well human then the rest of us. We kept seeing his conditions, you saw him. He needs that." Brennan declared.

"Well I just try to look at it if it were me in his shoes. I know me and Booth have had our differences as we should have. I also see what kind of man he is. He is a man deserving of respect. He has looked past my shortcomings and accepts me. The least I can do is listen and be there. Without him, I never would have made it back into your life. I owe him." Max explained.

The two road the rest of the way in silence.

They arrived at the hospital and went straight to Booth's room. Brennan stopped at the door and took a deep breath.

"You can do this Honey. He is your friend. He has been there for you, even when you put him through hell. He needs you now. You are strong." Max whispered into his daughters ear.

They entered the room to see Booth in his wheelchair looking out the window. Brennan swallowed back the knot that rose to her throat.

Booth heard the door open and struggled to turn the chair around. He felt the chair begin to move and saw the male of the two assisting him. He looked to the woman and smiled. She was beautiful. He felt like he had known her forever, though he didn't know how.

"Good morning Booth." She said returning his smile.

"Good Morning." He returned.

Max could see the question in his eyes. "I am Max and this is my daughter and your partner Temperance. You usually call her bones."

"So you are in the FBI?" He asked.

"No, I am a forensic anthropologist. We work together solving murders." She answered "I specialize in skeletal remains, hence why you have given me the nickname of Bones."

"Oh. I'm sorry for the confusion." He apologized.

"No apologies necessary at all. You have nothing to be sorry about." She answered while thinking she should be the one groveling on her knees before this man.

"So are you the ones assigned to take me home?" He asked changing the subject. He had seen emotions swimming through her eyes while she spoke. His words had affected her in ways he wasn't sure.

"No we weren't assigned, but we are here to bring you back to your apartment. Our friends are waiting for us to arrive. We have all worked out a schedule so you will never have to be alone until you are able to tend to yourself." She answered.

"I really don't want to be a bother to anyone." He said with sadness taking over his features.

"No son, it is no bother, we are all glad to help with whatever we can." Max added.

Booth liked this man. He seemed sincere. He wasn't sure what to think of the woman though. Her speech pattern was awkward.

Brennan grabbed all of the paperwork and Max wheeled the chair, towards the elevator.

"How long have we worked together?" Booth asked

"Well we worked one case 7 years ago, but have been working steadily for 6 years now."

Booth could hear the sadness in her voice. They had been partners for 6 years and he remembered nothing. This had to hurt the woman by the sounds of her voice. He knew partners formed a bond. Six years was a long time for two people to work together.

They made their way to an SUV and the pair helped Booth into the Passenger side. Brennan sat in the back and Max began to drive. Booth watched the scenery go by. He had remembered many things from photographs he had seen, but nothing looked like what he would consider to be home. He had so many questions he wanted to ask, but he dreaded making this woman feel any worse.

He wasn't sure why he wanted to ask, according to the paperwork he had seen, he wouldn't remember anything once he had slept. He just felt like he needed to know.

They pulled up to a building he assumed was his home. Max retrieved the wheelchair from the back and they helped him in. Brennan pulled the crutches and paperwork from the vehicle and they entered the building. They rode the elevator to the 2nd floor and then continued to his door.

They entered the apartment and Booth's jaw dropped. He could only describe the decorated room as something straight out of the movies. Inside were what he assumed to be his friends all smiling and welcoming him home. A small boy ran to him. A name tag said his name was Parker.

"Daddy!" He yelled and hugged his father.

"Hey Parker." He said trying to hug the boy the best he could with the splints.

"I missed you Daddy. Mommy and the squints said I can stay for a while and help you get better." The boy said excitedly.

Booth could feel tears trying to form and blinked them back. He had a son. A son he only knew the name of because he saw a name tag on his shirt.

"They told me you don't remember stuff, but it is ok. You will get better soon. Nothing beats my dad. You always win." The boy announced proudly.

"Seeley I am so glad to see your ok." Rebecca declared. "If Parker gets to be too much I'll come get him. I know you have a lot of healing left to do."

That must be the boy's mother. He wondered to himself why they weren't together.

"I'm sure he won't be a problem. We will have tons to talk about." Booth returned

"I need to get going. If you need anything and I mean anything please call." Rebecca stated while heading to the door.

"It was nice seeing you." He told her.

Booth's mind was racing. He looked around 'his' apartment. He saw a few things he recognized but so much more that he didn't. Everyone was engaging him in conversation but the most he could do was try and keep track of name tags.

Everyone's words began to blur. He could feel his head begin to ache, his muscles tightening.

Max could see the man was in distress and moved quickly towards him. He saw his eyes begin to roll back and changed directions to Parker. He grabbed the boys hand and pulled him back to his room asking him to show him his favorite things.

Brennan saw her father's hasty actions and shot her eyes towards Booth, just in time to see his body go rigid and fall to the floor in convulsions. The conversations froze as the friends rushed to his side. Brennan could hear the radio in Parker's room playing some current song she didn't recognize. She could never thank her father enough for sparing the child this scene.

Hodgins managed to place a pillow under Booth's head as sweets moved the chair a safe distance away. She stroked Booth's face trying to offer some sort of comfort as his body trembled. She felt so helpless. They all did.


	33. Chapter 33

Hodgins and Wendell carried Booth to his bed and all the guests excused themselves. Brennan had decided to stay as they all had Christmas plans to attend to. She told her father to take Parker back to her place to swim at the pool.

He didn't want to leave his father at first but Brennan told him Booth would be resting for a while so he finally agreed to go. Thanks to her father's quick actions the boy hadn't witnessed his father's collapse. The child had enough to deal with without seeing the horror included. She would sit down and talk to him about it at a later time.

So she and Booth were alone. She cleaned up and then sat with nothing but her worries. She walked into Booth's room and made sure the board with his diagnosis was visible upon waking. She sat on the edge of the bed watching him sleep peacefully. The seizures scared her. She had done her research and knew that during any one of them severe damage could be done, death a strong possibility as well.

She considered the two seizures she had witnessed. Both seemed to be caused by an excess of stimuli. Until the medications had a chance to fully take affect she would have to keep it limited to a sense. She considered cancelling the Christmas party, but decided she would speak to Booth's doctors about her conclusions and see what they recommended.

She would also talk to the others about toning everything down a notch. She should have known it would be too much. She too found her homecoming overwhelming.

She stroked the side of his face and he turned into the caress. He rolled to his side and curled his body around her. His left arm came to rest on her lap, while his right curled around her side. The memory of their night in the hotel before all this occurred flooded her mind. He was so awkward sharing the room with her. She remembered how comfortable it was sleeping in his arms. Tears built in her eyes. She thought of how she had wanted to turn to him, of how she wanted to turn into him and act on her instincts. She remembered his words from the cave. His awkwardness was out of his love for her, the fear of wanting to act upon his feeling, but not knowing her reaction. If she knew then what she knows now she would have acted, but she didn't.

Why does it take an act of tragedy for people to realize? Why did it take impending death to bring about their confessions? She looked down upon him and fought the urge to kiss him lightly on the lips. She was a stranger to him now, everything between them gone. Her feelings were the only ones that existed. His awkwardness is gone, only to be replaced by her own. She had kept it all buried before, she would just have to do it again.

She wasn't sure how long they had stayed this way. Her body had already begun to stiffen. She didn't want to move for fear of disturbing him. She heard the door open and close, then Parker's voice speaking softly.

Max and Parker peeked into the room and both smiled. Brennan looked at them with pleading eyes. Her father walked quietly into the room and whispered: "Lie down and get some rest. He is obviously comfortable and you are both adults."

"But Dad?" She whispered.

He put his finger to her lips. "I am not saying anything should happen. I am saying you both need comfort and as friends, find it in each other."

With that he exited the room and closed the door. She could hear the TV click on and then the sounds of their laughter.

Brennan battled her emotions. It wasn't like she was going to rip off all their clothes and have her way with the man, what could it hurt just to lie down and relax? He has woken alone for two weeks now. Maybe a face might make the transition easier, but what if it just confuses him more? What if she was just taking advantage of him?

She finally decided to lay down, if he hadn't lost his memory they could well be pursuing a relationship together. Gently she lifted his arm and found a position where she wasn't putting pressure on any of his injuries. She nestled herself on the edge of the bed. Feeling his warmth so close, her mind eased and she drifted to sleep.

In Booth's dreams he was with his mother swinging at the playground like they did when he was a child.

"You have friends now Seeley. You need to trust them. They will help you more then I can."

"But I don't know them, I don't know me."

"In time, all in good time. Your heart is open and so is theirs. They are your future; you can't hide in the past. You are healing, you can't rush that."

The playground faded away and the dream was full of flashbacks from his life. The flashes were so fast he could barely register it. Mostly it was the faces he saw.

"These are the people you care for Seeley, they are all there for you. They have stuck with you through everything and will be there for so much more. If you push yourself to hard you won't get it back, you need to allow time to do its thing."

He found comfort in the faces. He saw himself with these people. In the visions, he saw the good, he saw the bad, he saw smiles as well as tears.

"I will always be there for you my Son, but the less you need me the less I will make my presence known."

With that his eyes fluttered open. He felt her before he saw her. He felt the warmth of her body so close to his. She smelled of flowers. He instantly tried to remember who she was. Had he drank too much the night before?

As if in synch with him, Brennan felt his body stiffen and woke from her own sleep. She turned her body towards him and saw the concern in his eyes.

"Is everything ok Booth?" She asked mimicking his concern.

"I… I…" He paused.

"It's ok, I know you don't remember." They both moved to their backs and she began explaining the situation. When she was done, she got up to get his evening dosages of medication.

"Are we… together?" He asked apprehensively.

She thought about the question at hand. In truth they were not, but if circumstances had been different they probably would be.

"No, we weren't, but we were very close." She settled with that so he could make of it what he would.

He had seen her in his dreams, he had seen nothing intimate, but waking with her in his bed, in his arms, left him wondering. Whatever was between them, it had felt right.

"Parker is in the other room, I am sure he would love to spend some time with his Dad before it is bed time." She added to ease the awkwardness.

Parker must have been the child in his dream. He had a son. He wondered if this woman was the boy's mother, but was afraid to ask.

"Yeah that would be great." He answered instead.

"Do you want to stay in bed? I can get my dad to help you into your chair if you would like to go into the living room." She inquired.

"Yeah, I'd like to be up and about if it isn't any trouble." He answered.

Brennan left the room and returned with the chair and Max. They helped ease the man into the chair. They brought him out to parker and the boys face lit up.

"Max took me to Bone's pool while you were sleeping Dad. Max does cannonballs even better than Bones. Then we had ice cream, you want some icecream dad?" Parker went on excitedly.

"No your father needs his strength and has to have real food and you need substance yourself." Brennan interrupted.

"Aww Bones." He whined.

"We can have some ice cream after." Booth added.

Brennan began dinner as the 3 men watched TV and talked. Her dad had been wonderful through everything. He volunteered to stay with Booth while they all worked and he had become Booth's spokesperson. He had the most level mind of them all.

They all had dinner and at 9 Brennan had Parker tucked into bed. Max decided to excuse himself back to Brennan's apartment. Booth and Brenna sat on Booth's couch watching movies from Booth's dvd collection.

He kept watching her from the corner of his eye. He couldn't help but feel there was more to them then what she was telling him, but he couldn't bring himself to ask out of embarrassment.

Brennan was getting sleepy; the past weeks events had exhausted her. She hadn't realized until today just how much she hadn't been sleeping.

Booth however was awake and alert. She couldn't bring herself to go to sleep and leave him up alone. He had been alone too much lately.

She stifled a yawn and he looked towards her. "If you want to go to sleep you should go." He said with his voice filled with sincerity.

"Oh no, I napped earlier I am fine." She answered.

Booth liked the sound of her voice; he wasn't really interested in the movie so he decided he would try to learn more then what was typed up on paper about her.

"How did we meet?" He asked surprising her.

"Well you had a case that had gone cold. Someone referred you to me to try the case from a different angle. Together we solved the case." She answered.

"So we worked together ever since?"

"No actually we parted on bad terms. A year later you came looking for me for another case, it was then we perused a partnership."

"It was a case that put me here?" He said waving his hands around his body.

Images of everything that happened in the cave overwhelmed her. Tears threatened to break free from her eyes and she just nodded.

He could see the pain in her features. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to upset you." He said, his eyes falling to his lap.

"No, no don't ever apologize like that." She almost yelled. Her reaction startled him and he looked back to her. He could see her inner turmoil swirling deeply in her bright blue eyes.

"You saved me in there. If it weren't for you I would be in your condition or worse. I wasn't paying attention. I was lost in my work. You were in a safer place, but you ran to me and threw me to safety." Her tears were falling freely.

He pulled her into his arms and her face fell to his chest.

"Shhh." He whispered to her and rubbed her back with his splinted hand. "Look I don't remember what happened, but I can't help but think that if we are both sitting here together then whatever it was couldn't have been wrong. "

She lifted her head and she could see the determination she had seen so many times before there in his eyes.

"Ok so I am messed up. From what all these doctors' notes say, I should recover. In my dreams my mother keeps telling me that it will just take time."

"Your mother?" She asked. Booth never spoke of his mother. He barely mentioned his father.

"I think God sent her to me to help keep my head on straight. She shows me things in my dreams. She tries to give me advice." He explained

"You never told me about your mother. You only told me a little about your father and about the Army." She informed him.

"My mother died when I was 6. She had lung cancer. That's when my father changed. She is part of the reason I joined the army. She said I was a protector. So you see if I got hurt protecting you, them I did my job. If you're as good at your job as you seem to be, then you need to be here. Obviously I am still alive so all is good in the world."

Brennan crinkled her brow and just stared at him.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" he asked.

"Your whole life has been altered; your future is in question and you are just saying that everything is good?" She didn't understand.

"God has a plan for us all. This must be part of his plan. He's sent my mother to guide me and I have friends all here to help me. I must have done something right to deserve all that. Right?"

"I don't believe in deities." She told him.

"Well I do, besides there has to be a God for me to have such a beautiful woman curled up with me." He beamed his famous Booth smile. Brennan didn't know how to react. In this moment above all others she felt like her Booth was back. She laid her head on his chest and let her silent tears fall.

"Hey… That was supposed to make you smile or even laugh, not cry." He lifted her head with his fingers and forced her to look at him. "What is all this about?"

"We can't live in the past. We only have the future now. I can't change anything that has happened. You have lost so much…" She began.

"Stop blaming yourself. Accidents happen. People in this world do bad things. We can try and stop them but we can't prevent everything. I am here, living and breathing. No I can't remember everything, But I do still have a future. I have people in my life to help remind me of the past, and whatever is missing, well I just don't see how if I didn't tell anyone that it could be worth remembering. I do have a question though. I have wanted to ask since I woke up." He paused, waiting for her response.

"What do you want to know?" She asked hesitantly.

"Is there more between us then just work?" This was the first since he had woken up that she seen anything resembling pain in his eyes.

"We used to spend a lot of time together outside of work. We were very close friends. I knew I could go to you with anything and that you would always be there." She answered.

He could see in her eyes that she was holding something back. He decided he had nothing to lose and pressed further. "Is that it? We were just friends and partners?"

Suddenly feeling uncomfortable so close to him she attempted to sit up, but he held her firmly to him. She was afraid to pull harder or she may aggravate his injuries.

"Please don't run away from me. I am in no condition to chase after you, but I can guarantee I would try." He said lightly. Then he switched to a more intense tone. "I feel like there is more than that between us. It isn't something I know in my head, but rather something I feel in my heart."

The confession of his love to her swirled through her mind. This was not that Booth. This was a different Booth. Everything they had shared before was erased.

"We were never intimate. We never engaged in intercourse." She answered bluntly, trying to hide her emotions once more.

The coldness in her tone conflicted with everything he had seen from her this evening.

"I have done something to hurt you?" The question bordered a statement as sadness filled his voice.

Brennan's demeanor softened. "I am sorry. I didn't mean to come off so harsh. We had grown close, but I feel that circumstances are to different now, to try and be who we were. I can not be 100% sure of your intentions or emotions in the past, and to explain circumstances would not be wise to base ones future on."

"So there was a little of something but nothing concrete?" He asked.

"Yes."

"Are you for or against anything for us in the future?" He inquired.

She looked at him with questions in her eyes. "I don't understand."

"What I mean is I can see that you don't want to progress on anything from the past because you feel it is to one sided because I don't remember, but what I want to know is if we couldn't start today on building possibilities for something in the future." She just stared at him. "I want to get to know you again. I want to see if we could get back what we had before the accident." He tried again.

She gave him a soft smile. In her mind the chances of him remembering any of this were slim, but his metaphorical heart was as true as ever. "No I am not opposed to that idea." She decided.

"Ok so would you mind, as long as I promise to be a gentleman, To lay here with me and continue to watch movies."

"No I would not mind."

She got up and Booth stretched the length of the couch. He lifted his arm to welcome her in front of him. She lied down and he rested his arm around her.

To think that just two weeks ago he had fallen out of bed because of her body being this close to his. Thing had changed. He was so sincere, but she couldn't help but wonder if she was opening herself up to more hurt. Where had the awkwardness gone?


	34. Chapter 34

**Sorry for any typos, feel free to let me know of any that you found. I havent, reread the chapter and spemnt all night working on it. Let me know what you think.**

Brennan woke early the next morning. She couldn't remember the last time she had slept so soundly. She still laid securely in Booths arms. She felt she could stay there forever, but knew she needed to start her day. Parker would be awake soon and she needed to get their breakfast ready. She slid off the couch slowly to avoid waking the sleeping man.

She noticed him begin to stir as she walked into the kitchen. She began pulling out everything she needed to make omelets. She never thought she would like the domestic lifestyle but she found it fulfilling.

Shortly after she began a sleepy Parker walked out of his room. She poured him a glass of orange juice.

"Thanks Bones." He said with a yawn.

"You're welcome." She said smiling.

She noticed Booth stirring again. She poured a glass of milk and pulled out his medications. She finished up the omelets and handed one to Parker and brought another to the coffee table. She lightly rubbed Booth's back.

"Booth It is time for breakfast."

He let out a soft groan and opened his eyes. She hoped for recognition But she could see the questions in his eyes.

"Let me help you sit up. I made omelets."

"Thank you."

"After you finish, I will give you the information about your condition."

They finished breakfast and went over the usual information. Shortly after a nurse from the agency came to help Booth bath. Her dad came over and they allowed visitor two at a time.

This routine continued for the next couple days. Booth had yet to have another seizure, but some days he would retain basic information from the day before. Things seemed to be going well.

Brennan and Max had reservations about the party for Christmas. The last time Booth was over stimulated he had a seizure. With the progress that was being made they feared another would wipe it all away.

They discussed with their friends to try and keep it as low key as possible by taking everything slow. This would be Booth's first outing since his discharge. Max agreed that if it looked like things weren't going well that he would immediately take Booth home and that Brennan and Parker would leave to drop Parker off with Rebecca so she could have part of the holiday.

All the gifts were packed into Brennan's car. She and Parker followed her dad's SUV.

Booth stared out the window looking like he was deep in thought.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Max asked.

"Oh… its nothing." Booth answered.

"Doesn't look like nothing." Max pried.

"It Bones." Booth blurted out.

"So what has my daughter done to warrant your thoughts?" He asked.

"I don't know how to explain it. We have been spending a lot of time together. Sometimes I think… I don't know." He sighed full of frustration.

"Calm down Son, I don't want to see you all upset. If you don't want to talk about it you don't have to." Max soothed.

"Well she tells me things from our pat, but I feel like she is leaving stuff out. It is like she is hiding stuff from me."

"We all agreed to stick to facts about your past, this was your decision. You had said you didn't want our interpretations of events." Max informed him.

"It's not that. Never mind. It isn't important." Booth gave up. He didn't know how to describe what he was feeling inside.

They arrived at the party. Wendell, Sweets and Hodgins helped carry the packages inside. Brennan helped her dad with Booth and they all entered. Brennan had thought they went all out on Booth's apartment until they entered the Hodgins' home. Christmas music played softly in the background and everything from floor to ceiling.

Angela ran to Parker to give him a big hug. "Mistletoe" Sweets yelled and everyone looked up. Angela gave Parker a big kiss, leaving the young boy blushing.

Booth couldn't help but chuckle at his son's embarrassment. Everyone mingled for a short time and then they all entered the living room to open their gifts.

Max kept a watchful eye on Booth for any distress. He was smiling and laughing with the others but it seemed more forced then his usual demeanor. After presents everyone moved to the dining area for their meal. Max noticed that Booth was picking at his food. He was getting a bit worried at how out of character he was acting. He noticed how he kept stealing glances at Brennan and it all seemed to click. Booth was falling for her all over again. Max smiled to his self. He knew they were meant for each other. He would have to sit down with each of them to discuss his discovery.

After the meal they headed back to the living room for dessert, eggnog and conversation. Brennan wheeled Booth who dropped his fork. She stooped to pick it up when Angela shouted mistletoe. Brennan looked up and was struck with fear. She remembered the night in the hospital when Booth had remembered and they shared a kiss. The kiss had triggered a seizure.

Booth slightly smiled at the thought of being able to kiss her. The group began chanting: "Kiss. Kiss. Kiss."

Brennan leaned down and gave him a slight peck on the cheek. Booth's heart fell.

She rolled him into the room and sat furthest from him on the couch. After that night they had talked, she had been distancing herself from Booth. He had forgotten everything that morning and she was protecting herself. How could she go on wanting to be with him, when at anytime they might have to start over?

It wasn't long before Booth couldn't take it anymore. He could feel his heart being crushed and was going to have an emotional break. He wanted to go home to his room and be alone. Booth turned to Max. Max could see the desperation on his face. His color was off and didn't look well.

"I think we should be getting Booth home for some rest." He announced.

Brennan looked to her father with dear in her eyes. Max went to Booth and began wheeling Booth to the door. He stopped so Parker could give him a hug.

"See you later Daddy."

"Bye Bub, we will see each other in a couple days."

Wendell helped Max Put Booth in the car.

"Is everything alright?" Wendell asked.

"Just not feeling well." Booth answered.

They began the drive home. Booth had his head down and leaned against the window.

"So you want to tell me what's wrong?" Max asked.

"I don't want to talk about it." Booth answered frankly.

"Keeping it inside won't do any good. If you increase your stress level you could have a seizure."

"What does it matter anyway?" Booth muttered.

Max swerved off the road and slammed on the breaks.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Max yelled. "Don't you realize how many people care about you?"

"I see the looks in their eyes. I see how everyone acts around me. They want what I used to be. I am not him anymore. I am an obligation to them." Booth spat back.

"Is that what you really think?"

Booth didn't answer. He just stared at the floor.

"You really think that these people, your friends, are doing all this for you out of obligation? Can't you see how much they care about you? When you almost died they were all crushed. They were relieved when you lived. Yes they miss who you were and all hope that he will come back. A hospital specializing in brain injury was one of the options for your care, they all banded together to keep you home, where they could see you every day. Obligation my ass. Open those eyes of yours and see what actually is going on."

"I want to go to that hospital." Booth answered fighting the tears that were threatening to fall.

"You don't mean that. You need them as much as they need you." Max disagreed. "Think about it, if you leave they will all be crushed. Your son will be crushed."

The rest of the ride home was in silence. Booth insisted on going to bed as soon as they arrived. Max conceded and left the man in the room.

As soon as the door closed Booth allowed his emotions to take over. The tears fell silently. He couldn't stand being around her anymore. He couldn't stand feeling the way he did about her.

"History repeats itself." His mother's voice permeated his thoughts.

He waited for her to say something else but she remained silent.

He finally got control of his emotions and just stared at the ceiling. He heard the front door close and soft voices in the living room.

He closed his eyes as he heard the doorknob to his room turn. Brenna crept into the room. She stared at him for a few moments and then approached him and lightly kissed his forehead. She left the room and closed the door.

Booth listened to the conversation that was taking place.

"What happened, Dad?" Brennan asked her voice filled with concern.

"Nothing, he just looked a little distressed and I thought I would bring him home preemptively." Max answered. He wasn't lying he was just withholding information.

"I was so worried." She confessed. "He hasn't been himself lately."

"Neither have you." Max looked at her with his own questions.

"What are you trying to say?" She asked not liking his accusing tone.

"Just that since you have changed so has he. Maybe it's related." He explained.

"I don't know what you're talking about." She defended herself.

"Well just think it over. I am going to head back to your place." Max said grabbing his coat and heading for the door.

Booth hoped he could remember to thank that man tomorrow. He could have told her everything but didn't. No matter what Max said his past was, he was an honorable man.

Brennan paced the living room. Her father implied it was her fault that Booth was acting strangely. She acted how she always had with Booth, well except for his first day home. But Booth didn't remember that, so what was the problem?

Booth wondered what Max meant by Brennan changing, for as much as he could remember she had been distant towards him, maybe she added distance a bit each day but nothing dramatic. He was so confused. He couldn't avoid his feelings for her, had he always had these feelings or was it because he had the most interaction with her?

He really didn't want to go to the hospital, but he needed time away from her as well.

Both stared at the ceilings as sleep evaded them. Their thoughts drifted to each other and the emotions they were trying to avoid. Their hearts ached for each other. If they only knew that communicating would ease their pain.

Booth felt natures call and looked for the bottle he needed. It sat on the edge of the night table furthest from him. He scooted as close as he could and stretched to reach it. He was almost there so he scooted a little closer and then fell to the floor taking the contents of the table down with him.

Brennan heard the crash and ran into the room. Booth was struggling to a sitting position. She rushed to his side to help, but he jerked away from her.

"Booth, let me help you before you injure yourself." Brennan begged. She could see the frustration all over his face.

During his fall his bladder had released and he was full of embarrassment. Not only that, but his glass of water had spilled all over him.

He looked up at her with tears in his eyes.

"Are you in pain?" She asked

He shook his head in defeat.

"If you are not injured, let me get some towels and a change of clothes. I'll get you cleaned up." She said rushing to get what she needed.

She laid out some towels on his bed. She they struggled to get him of the floor but eventually succeeded.

"I will need to remove your wet clothing." She said as she lifted his shirt over his head. Her heart sunk as she saw all the healing scars that marred his body, but masked the emotion. She dried his torso gently.

Booth's skin tingled under her touch. He couldn't help but wish that she was touching him under different circumstances.

"I need to remove your pants, now." She stated.

His face reddened in embarrassment. He began reciting saints trying to avoid an adverse reaction to her actions. He lay back on the bed to make it easier. He watched her face as she proceeded to remove what was left of his clothing.

She tried not to stare at his naked form. She tried to drown her arousal by focusing on the job at hand. She grabbed the washcloth and quickly cleaned his groin area and abdomen. She dried him off and slipped on his dry clothes.

"There all done." She stated a bit unnerved by his silence.

She gathered up his wet laundry and turned to leave the room.

"Thank you." He said barely above a whisper.

She turned back to him and smiled. "You're welcome."

She left the room and returned with a fresh glass of water.

She sat on the bed next to him and looked at his face. She could see his red rimmed eyes and frowned. "Why do you look so sad, it was just an accident? I wish you would have called for help. You could have injured yourself quite severely."

"I don't like being a burden." He mumbled.

"You are not a burden. Why would you think that?"

"You are a beautiful, single woman; you should be having a social life, not catering to my needs." He said with his voice thick with emotion.

"There is no other place I want to be, or any other person I would rather be with." She answered, her voice quivering.

He looked at her with eyes full of doubt.

"You mean more to me than anyone else ever could. I am here because that is where I want to be." She explained.

He rolled over turning his back to her.

"Please don't shut me out. You never shut me out. We always talk about everything." She begged.

"I am not that person anymore." He mumbled.

"You are that person. You are Seeley Booth." Her tears were falling now.

He turned back to her. Seeing her crying was almost too much to bear.

"What did I do to make you angry?" She cried.

"I'm sorry. It isn't you, it's me." His words brought on her sobs. "Damn it, I can't get anything right."

They stayed silent as Brennan tried to compose herself.

He reached out to hold her hand. "I am sorry. I just have too much going on in my head. Things I don't think I can talk to you about."

"You can talk to me about anything."

"Not this. Not now." He could see the disappointment in her face.

She got up and walked to the living room. His heart sank at her hasty departure, but then she returned. She laid her pillow and blanket on the floor.

"What are you doing?" He inquired.

"I want to stay in close proximity in case you should need assistance again." She answered.

"I am not letting you sleep on the floor." He argued.

"I'll be fine." She argued back.

"Well then I will sleep on the floor too." He added stubbornly.

"Booth!"

"Sleep up here. I promise I will stay on my side. I am never going to sleep with you down there. It just isn't right." He offered as a compromise.

She gathered her things and joined him on the bed.

"Can I ask you a question?" He asked.

"Anything." She answered.

"If we were such good friends, why do you keep your distance from me?"

She didn't know how to answer the question. She couldn't tell him that his presence caused her pain. She couldn't tell him how desperately she loved him.

He took her silence negatively. "It's because I am not the man I was."

"No. No that's not it at all. It is hard to explain. I don't think it is beneficial at this time to discuss the matter." She argued.

"When will be the right time?" He asked.

"I don't know." She almost whispered.

Feelings hurt; he turned his back to her. She turned to him and put her hand on his back.

"Please don't." He whispered.

She withdrew her hand and asked: "Do you want me to call my father to be here with you? If my presence disturbs you, I can leave."

He took a deep breath. "Yes. No. I don't know."

"I don't understand."

"Neither do I." He returned.

"Please look at me." She requested.

He rolled back to face her, tears in his eyes again.

"How can I fix this?" She asked.

"I don't know if you can." He answered.

"Please just tell me what is wrong." She begged.

"I can't. Please don't try and make me." He also begged.

"We can't go on like this. I can't lose you" She declared.

"I don't want to lose you either. That's why I can't talk to you about this." He confessed.

She didn't know what to think. What could be this big that he was afraid he would lose her? She moved closer to him and cupped his face in her hand. "There is nothing you could ever say that would make me abandon you."

He moved his own hand to cover hers. He turned his face to kiss her hand. His eyes looked like melted chocolate as he gazed into hers. At that moment it all became clear. He had once again developed feelings for her. She smiled at him.

"I care deeply for you as well." She confessed.

"Then why?" he asked.

"I assume for the same reasons." She answered.

He reached out to pull her closer to him. Her body ached for his touch. She melted into his body. He leaned in to kiss her, when she stiffened.

"No!" She exclaimed.

Disappointment took over his features and he began to pull away. She reached out to stop him.

"The last time we kissed it triggered a seizure, you forgot everything. I am afraid." She confessed.

He stared intently into her eyes. "So you're willing to ignore everything on something that may or may not happen?"

"Yes." She whispered.

"What is the point of having these feelings if we are never going to act on them?" He asked.

"You're getting better; you are not forgetting everything every day. Give it time."

"How much time? When will you be sure enough to try?" He asked.

"I don't know, but it hasn't been a week yet."

"Were we together before?" He inquired.

"No, we never were. In the cave, when you thought you were going to die, you told me how you felt. I told you too. But then you lost your memory. I didn't want to tell you because I didn't' want you to feel something that was based off a memory."

"I want to be close to you. I want more, but I will wait if that will make you feel better. We can start slow. Please just don't shut me out anymore."

"I concur. I would like that very much." She agreed smiling.

"So is cuddling to much of a step?" he asked.

"Not at all." She said and snuggled in close to him.

They fell asleep entwined in each others arms.


	35. Chapter 35

**Author's note. Ok so cut me a little slack the pictures in my mind were much better then my words could describe.**

Everything went well for the next few weeks. Brennan returned to work. Though she stood determined she wouldn't work with anyone but Booth, she had consulted on a couple cases on an in lab level. Her main goal was to make sure all the evidence on Broadsky was concrete. His trial date was arriving and she didn't want to leave any room to question his guilt.

Hacker had also been bringing cases for Booth to consult on. His memory may be lost but his instincts were still dead on. Working seemed to aid in his recovery. It gave him something else to focus on other than being injured.

The splints had been removed from Booth's arms and he began physical therapy. They decided to allow a short amount of time on his crutches but kept the splints on his legs because of the severity of the fractures.

All was going well with the couple. Brennan still wouldn't allow any forms of intimacy between them, but each night they slept in each other's arms.

Brennan stormed through the door to Caroline's office and through some papers on her desk.

"What the hell is this?" She fumed.

"Well hello Cher, nice to see you too." Caroline looked at the papers. "What has your panties in a bunch?"

"How can you even consider putting him on the witness stand?" Brennan yelled at the woman.

"Look, he is a victim in this crime. We have his reports on evidence gathered on the previous charges. He has to be there to verify the authenticity of his signature. We have to put him on the stand." Caroline explained.

"He doesn't even remember these cases. Do you know what this can do to him? He hasn't had a seizure since the first night he was discharged. The stress of testifying and facing this man could induce another. We could lose all the progress we have made." Brennan argued.

"If we don't call him the defense will. It is a preemptive strike. If we try to hide him and the defense acts first it will deteriorate his documentations. Cher, I don't have a choice."

Brennan turned and left the room, slamming the door on her way out. She found the ladies room and locked herself in a stall and let her tears fall freely. They had progressed so much. She doubted she could handle being knocked back to square one.

Once she regained her composure. She decided to forsake work for the day and head back to Booth's. When she arrived he was up and about on his crutches. When he saw her walk through the door he stood a bit taller.

"Your home early." He greeted. He saw the distress on her face and he closed the distance between them. He locked his crutches under his arms and pulled her into his arms. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I am fine." She answered. "Where is my father?"

"I told him to go home and take a break. I don't always need a babysitter. You don't look fine." He prodded.

"I just received unsettling news. I will be fine."

He put his finger beneath her chin and lifted her eyes to meet his. "Talk to me."

"I just saw you name on the witness list for Broadsky's trial." She told him.

"I know. We spoke about it a couple days ago."

"You knew? How could you agree to testify?" She asked.

"From what I understand it's my job." He explained.

"But… but what if… I can't lose you again." She stammered.

"I can't live my life in fear. I can't hide forever. I hurt my brain. Anything could trigger a seizure and yes it might take my memory again, but what I am doing now isn't living."

"I thought we were happy?" She said her voice beginning to break.

"I am happy with you, but I feel like I am in jail here. I don't go anywhere. I don't do anything. I may not remember my life but I know I had one. I had a son. I had a job. I had more than four walls and a door."

"But we could lose everything." She almost begged.

"I fell in love with you before. I am in love with you now. No matter the circumstances I am always going to love you. If I lose my memory, quit avoiding the topic and tell me as soon as I open my eyes that we are together, that I am madly, deeply in love with you."

"You love me?" She questioned.

"For someone so smart, you can be awfully dim sometimes." He laughed.

She looked deep into his eyes and saw nothing but sincerity. He leaned in to kiss her and she pulled away. He grabbed her arm and held her tight.

"No, we can't." She exclaimed

"Why? Give me one good reason why?" He argued.

"Because it could induce a seizure." She said.

"Ok so tomorrow I am due to testify in court, another thing you think could cause a seizure. If I am risking it either way, I would rather it be this way." He reasoned.

She tried to pull away again but he wouldn't let her go. He pulled her back to him and kept his hand at the small of her back so she couldn't pull away again. He pressed his lips to hers and he could feel the tension leave her body. She returned his kiss with all the passion she had kept bottled up. They each let go of all their inhibitions.

He began to teeter on his crutches and she pulled back, both of them breathing heavily. They looked deeply into each other's eyes. She grasped his hand and led him to his room.

He sat down on his bed taking in the woman before him. She gently pushed him backwards onto his back. She lied down beside him and brought her lips to his again.

Her hands ran under his shirt and across his chest. She sat up and pulled him to a sitting position as well. She removed his shirt and then her own. She slipped off her bra. His hands shook as he placed them on her waist, his eyes never leaving hers. He pulled her into him and brought her mouth to his. They fell backwards onto the bed. Her hands wandering his bare flesh, the heat from his skin against hers made her ache for more.

Her hand dipped down to the waistband of his sweats and he let out a low groan. He brought his hands up her sides and his thumbs caressed the side of her breasts. She kneeled above him and began undoing her pants. She stood to remove them and then slipped off his. She leaned over him and he wrapped his arms around her pulling her to him. They rolled to their sides allowing their hands to explore each other's bodies.

Booth's hand found its way between her legs and she let out a soft moan. She wrapped her hand around him and stroked his length. She pushed him to his back and positioned herself above him. Before she could take him inside her, he grabbed her hips to stop her.

"Are you positive you want to do this?" He asked breathlessly.

She leaned down and covered his mouth with hers. She pushed her hips down and took in his length.

Once they were both spent she collapsed into his arms. He kissed her hair and pulled her close.

**Sorry about the rating change. I wasn't planning on taking this direction, but it just kind of turned out that way.**


	36. Chapter 36

**Authors note. Ok so I am not thrilled with this chapter, I rewrote it 4 times now. I didn't want it to be so long and drawn out it was boring. Hope it isn't to bad for you. Let me know what you think. The next chapter will be better I promise.**

Brennan woke early the next morning wrapped in Booth's arms. They had made love three times the previous night. She had had numerous sexual relations in her past, but none had ever made her feel like she did at that moment. All the ideas she had considered illogical before filtered through her mind. It all felt like a magical dream, but here he was laying there beside her.

She looked at the clock and knew it would soon be time to get ready to go to the courthouse. She leaned upward and kissed him. He began to stir and then returned the kiss. He tightened his embrace, pulling her closer to him. Neither wanted this moment to end.

"We need to get cleaned up for court." She breathed.

Booth let out a groan, but released the woman he loved. She got up and retrieved his crutches.

"Let me shower then I will get you cleaned up." She said.

He wished he didn't have the splints he would have joined her. Instead he slipped on his boxers and followed her to the bathroom and brushed his teeth and shaved. In the mirror he could see her silhouette. He couldn't believe she was his. She finished her shower and wrapped herself in a towel.

"Are you ready?" She asked with a smile. She sauntered over to him and took hold of the waistband of his boxers. She slowly crouched down, pulling them down as she went. She took a washcloth and lathered it with rinse free soap. She moved rhythmically around him caressing him with the cloth.

"If you keep that up, you are going to need another shower." He said beginning to breath heavy.

She smiled at him and said: "I thought I would try something new."

"How about we try something new after court, when we have more time?" He leaned down and kissed her.

"I find that acceptable." She said still smiling.

She finished washing him and then they both got dressed. She was just finishing her makeup when she heard a knock at the door. Booth hobbled over and answered it.

"Good morning, Max." Booth said.

Max could see a change in the man from the day before.

"Good morning, Dad." Said Brennan.

She was almost glowing. 'Finally' he thought. "Good morning, guys. Are you ready for this?"

Brennan gave him a wary look. He understood. They had spent weeks sheltering Booth from stress. He wondered himself if this would be too much for the man. Tempe would be crushed if anything happened.

Booth saw the apprehension on both their faces. "Come on guys. I'll be fine. Have a little faith." He said.

"I don't believe in faith." Brennan interjected.

"Well I do, so let me rub off on you." He said frustrated.

Brennan blushed. Booth noticed. "Not like that, geez. If I start feeling off I will excuse myself, But I will be fine. I can't be locked in the apartment forever."

"You promise you will excuse yourself?" Brennan asked.

"Cross my heart." He made the sign across her chest.

"I don't understand." She said.

"You have my heart, Temperance. It belongs to you." He declared.

Max couldn't help but smile. Somehow they got passed their stubbornness. He was glad Booth gave him the boot the day before.

"Well let's get going then." Max said heading back for the door.

The group all stood together nervously outside the courtroom, each going over their testimony. The evidence they compiled should make it a certain conviction, but each feared what could happen if it were not.

The bailiff came out and announced their case. Everyone filed into the room and took their seats. Booth and Brennan sat next to each other and he took her hand in his. She laughed inwardly at the fact the gesture meant to bring her comfort when she should be the one comforting him.

Since his last memory loss no one had gone over the details of the case. He knew the basics that there was an explosion, then a cave in and he was injured. So much more would be coming out today and his friends were uncertain of his reaction. They knew how old Booth would react, but he had changed since then.

The attorneys began their opening arguments. Caroline was always a sight to behold during the argument phases of trials. She had spent days preparing for this case. She had always adored Booth, she was angry when Broadsky threatened Booth. His attempt on Booth's life almost sent her over the edge. She wanted this man and she wanted him bad.

Caroline requested leniency from the judge to work through each case individually as not to confuse the jury. The judge granted and they began with Heather Taffet.

She began by calling everyone present at the shooting. Hodgins described the analysis of the properties of the bullet. Brennan described the entry and exit wounds. Angela explained how they calculated trajectory and the location of the apartment. Cam told of the autopsy done on Tracey Leveque. Hodgins explained how he calculated the time of death.

Booth sat and listened to everything said. Nothing sounded Familiar to him, but when it came time for the Crime scene photos he began to get flashes. Each flash of memory was accompanied by a sharp pain through his skull. He gritted his teeth and hid his discomfort. It was his turn to go on the stand. He began describing how he determined that it had to be a trained sniper who took the shot. The defense attorney objected to Booth's testimony. He brought up Booth's memory loss.

Caroline contradicted his objection stating all law enforcement officers are allowed to view their notes before a case. The judge allowed the testimony.

They called William Preston , one of the snipers who knew Broadsky and Booth. He testified that to his knowledge there were only two snipers skilled enough to take that kind of shot. One was already present at the scene when the murder occurred.

They moved on to Wlater Crane's murder. The group described how they linked the bullets used in this and Heather Taffet's murders. It was told how the uncovered that someone from the US Marshalls was involved and that they linked Paula Ashwaldt To Broadsky through their time in the Army. They told the jury that she confirmed that she knew Broadsky was going after Taffet and that Broadsky had had access to her computer.

The jury was informed of what was found near the Paula's cabin and how it led them to Benny Winkler. He testified to the fact that he had made rounds for Broadsky and the specifications used to design them.

Once again seeing all the crime scene photos induced pain through Booth's skull. He hated to break his promise to Brennan but he had to do this.

Finally they moved on to the cave. They testified to how they discovered the bodies were planted there. Booth testified how Broadsky had told him on a previous case that he would not hesitate to make his son fatherless. Hodgins had linked particulates from the scene to those found in Broadsky's car as well as particulates from the places that the bodies had originated in.

FBI forensics testified that the same explosives were used when Broadsky escaped Booth during the Taffet case as well as at the cave. Brennan breezed over the events in the cave only stating how Booth had saved her and how she made it out to get help.

They testified to finding the body of a local hiker, Frank Thompson, was found in the cave. Who was killed in a similar manner to Tracy Leveque. Caroline then played video that had been taken during the rescue attempt and then another taken after entry of the cave was deemed safe to remove the bodies.

Booth sat and watched the videos. Flashes and Pains ripped through his skull. He saw his own body being pulled up and the ground collapsing. Later he saw Brennan's unconscious bloody form being raised out. His heart broke. The video moved to the scene after the entrance had been cleared. The video took the tour through every inch of the cave. It showed Booth's blood spread over the cave floor. It was noted where his body had been found.

The flashes of his memory came faster, the pain becoming unbearable. He stood to leave the courtroom. The pain was too much. He felt his muscles begin to tighten. He began to convulse crashing to the floor. On the way down his head struck the corner of the wall separating the seats from the lawyers.

Brennan saw Booth begin to fall. It all seemed to be happening in slow motion. She reached out to grab him, but was too late. She saw the blood begin to pool under his injured head. The convulsions weren't ending. Seizures were not supposed to last this long. Blood began to ooze from his mouth; it looked as if he had bitten his tongue. Max slipped his wallet into booth's mouth to prevent further injury.

Paramedics arrived and took Booth away. Brennan felt like she was in the middle of a nightmare. She woke to a magical dream and now it had all gone to hell.

The judge granted recess to the following day and the team all piled into cars to go to the hospital.

Brennan kept looking at her watch. It felt like hours had passed but in truth it had only been one. She hadn't stopped trembling since it had occurred. She still had Booth's blood all over her, just as she had the day all this had begun.

Another hour had passed and just as she thought she couldn't take it anymore a doctor came out and called for the family of Seeley Booth.


	37. Chapter 37

Brennan was the first to move towards the doctor. She felt numb. She tried to read the doctors face, but that was Booth's area of expertise. She felt the presence of her father at her side. She could hear her friends behind her.

She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Her father saw her distress and told the doctor that they were there for Booth.

"Mr Booth has suffered a Cerebral Hemorrhage. We have drilled holes into his skull to reduce the pressure. His Primary Neurosurgeon is running tests to determine whether or not surgery is necessary. Due to his previous brain injury, we have put him into a medically induced coma until further treatment is determined. They are admitting him into ICU now. Visitors will be limited in the next 24 hours. You can check in up there to arrange a schedule."

No one in the group spoke and the doctor went on to her duties. The group went to ICU and checked in at the nurses' station. They were informed that it would be a couple hours before Booth could have visitors, after that only one visitor at a time.

The group discussed options for lunch and then returning to the hospital. Brennan decided she would rather stay, but insisted everyone else go on with their plans.

At the diner they sat quietly awaiting their meals, each of them considering the outcome of Booth's current condition. How much could he actually take? Angela wondered. Hodgins couldn't help but feel Booth was the strongest man he knew and that he would have to be ok. Sweets thought of the psychological toll this would take on Brennan and his friends as well as Booth himself if he made it. Caroline sat blaming herself. Max didn't know how much more his daughter could take, especially after what he had witnessed earlier that day. Vincent rattled around the facts that he knew of trauma to the brain and recovery statistics. Wendell didn't think Booth would ever be the man he was. Cam doubted his survival and thought the best case scenario would be Booth in a vegetative state.

Back at the hospital Brennan sat rigid in a chair in the waiting room. It memories drifted to the previous night. She had considered being with Booth since the day that they had met, But she never imagined it could ever been as good as it was. So much time they had wasted. They could have been together long ago, and now that they had given into one another at long last, it could all be too late. She couldn't decide if she regretted the moment or not. All the years Booth had spoken of love, she had argued with him. Now she witnessed all he had said to be true.

She considered all the possible outcomes to Booth's current condition. Other than a full recovery (which the chances of were almost nil), none of the other prognosis appeared to be promising. She felt herself crumbling on the inside, no matter what she molded her outward appearance to be. She considered her options. Knowing Booth had weakened her. No one could ever affect her like this in the past.

He could certainly recover without her and there was much work she could do abroad. She didn't know if she had the strength to live without him, nor did she know if she had the strength to live through the consequences of his recovery. She would wait until she could see his eyes open before she decided on her future.

They sat in a large church together. She sat silently praying before the alter. Once she was finished she turned to him.

"My dear son, you find yourself here with me again. Your strength dwindles. After all even a cat only has nine lives. How many of your own have you already used?" His mother spoke.

"Apparently not my last or I would be somewhere other than here." Booth answered.

"What keeps you so anchored to the Earth, when you could be at peace?" she asked.

He saw her face in his mind's eye. "I am just not finished yet. I have more I need to do."

"You love her I know and you feel you must make penance for all the people whose lives you had taken. You don't you know." She spoke again.

"What will happen when I wake up?" He asked with hesitation.

"That, I can't tell you my son. The future is not written in stone. Choices have yet to have been made. Your body is weak but your will is strong." She answered.

A nurse came to bring Brennan to Booth's room. He looked so peaceful lying there, like he was sleeping and would wake at any moment. Tears filled her eyes. She sat beside him and grasped his hand. She would do anything to feel him tighten his grip.

"You stupid man." She whispered. "Everything was fine, we were perfect and look where we are, right back where we started. I told you it was too risky. We could have moved on with our lives, we could have started a future together."

A nurse walked into the room with a bag. "Your father brought this for you. He said you need to keep up your strength. He also said that he and the others would come back before visiting hours were over and to take your time."

"Thank you."

"He is strong you know, your friend there. I have heard the doctors talking. They are amazed that he is still alive." With that the nurse left the room.

"I don't enjoy seeing you in pain Booth. I have seen it to so many times now, too many times. I don't know if I can stand seeing it anymore. I am thinking about going away. I need time; time without seeing the horror that men can create. We are supposed to study history and cultures to learn from our mistakes, but history always repeats itself."

She felt his hand twitch in hers.

He could hear her words, if only he could see her face. She was considering leaving him. he wanted to wake up. He wanted to take her in his arms. No matter how he tried he was stuck in the visions of his mind. He saw all the times he had ended up in the hospital. All the times she had been by his side. History repeats itself. His mother had said that to him before. Was that his destiny? Was he going to continue in circles through the rest of his life?

He didn't know what he was doing wrong. He didn't know any other way to live his life. He lived by his heart, by his instincts. What more could he do?

If she would stay by his side he knew he could make it through anything. Without her… he didn't want to think of that.


	38. Chapter 38

The doctors decided Booth needed surgery. They deemed that they needed the swelling in his brain to subside before they proceeded.

Hours turned to days, days turned to weeks. Three had passed since that day of the trial. Brennan spent most of her time spent by his bed side. Broadsky had been found guilty of all charges. Caroline had called doctors in that next day to illustrate Booth's injuries, seeing his collapse easily swayed the for the death penalty. She found no peace with this. Irrationally she wanted the man to suffer. Suffer as Booth suffered. She wanted him to feel his pain, all their pain.

They surgery was schedule for the following day. They said they would keep him in a coma for at least a week after. Once they removed the medication all they could do was wait. Wait to see when and if he woke up. Wait to see the damage that was done.

Booth had no concept of time. He couldn't tell how long he had been trapped in his mind. He knew when she was there. When she spoke he lingered on her voice. He couldn't feel her touch with his skin, but he could feel it in his soul. She was a part of him. She completed him.

She didn't speak of leaving anymore, but somehow he knew it was still in her mind. If he could only wake up, if he could talk to her he could change her mind. When she saw how they could be together, she would never want to go. He could make her happy, if she would give him a chance. He would work the rest of his life to bring her happiness.

She had news to tell him, but she didn't know how. She hadn't spoken the words aloud. She didn't know if he could hear her or not. She would rather tell him when she could see his reaction. She would wait. The moment he opened his eyes, she would tell him.

She looked at her watch, only a few minutes until visiting hours were over. She gathered her things and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. Before she left she took one last glance over her shoulder. "I love you." She said and then left the room.

Max was becoming concerned about his daughter. She hardly spoke to any of her friends and often left work to sit in the hospital. Angela had come to him with her concerns and those of the others at the Jefforsonian. The light in her eyes dimmed and she went through the motions of a daily routine, but her heart just wasn't in it. She looked paler than usual. Her appetite had dwindled. When she arrived home tonight he was going to sit her down and talk to her for her own good.

She came in through the door and headed straight to her room.

"Tempe, can we talk?" He asked.

"I am extremely tired dad." She said without stopping.

"Well let me rephrase that. Tempe sit down we are going to have a talk." He said.

She inhaled deeply and walked to the couch to sit down. He went and sat beside her.

"We are worried about you, all of us." He declared.

"There really is no need, I am fine." She stated.

"No, no you're not. Have you looked into the mirror lately? When was the last time you have spoken to your friends or me for that matter? How can you expect to be there for him if you're not even taking care of yourself?"

"Dad, I admit I have been preoccupied. I have been feeling off lately, but I assure you I am doing fine."

"I know how you feel. When I lost your mother…" He started.

"I haven't lost him!" She interrupted.

"Tempe, I know how hard this is on you, but you have family and friends who are here for you. You are not alone and neither is he. Let us help take some of the weight off your shoulders."

She felt the tears betray her. "I just don't know what to expect. I don't know how he is going to be when he wakes up. I don't even know if he will know me."

"He may have forgotten his past, but he never forgot you."

Brennan looked at her father. "What do you mean?" She asked.

"I saw the way he looked at your picture, the way he looked at you. The two of you are connected by more than memories."

"That isn't rational."

"Life isn't always rational, Honey. Not everything is based on science. You can try and explain everything away, but there are always things left in question." Max explained.

"I am really tired, Dad. I just want to go to sleep. Booth's surgery is scheduled for early in the morning and I want to be there."

"We are all going to be there. Neither of you will be alone."

Brennan and her father arrived at the hospital early the next morning. The waiting room was already filled with all their friends. Brennan went to Booth's room and watched as the nurses prepped him for surgery. When their tasks were complete they gave her a moment alone, before they wheeled him away.

"I have something important to tell you. You have to come through this ok. You have to wake up and come back to me soon. I love you Booth." With that she kissed him and walked from the room.

They took turns sitting and pacing the floors. Each one wishing they were somewhere else, but none were willing to leave. The hours ticked by. The sun had began its decent from above before the doctor finally came to notify that surgery went well. He told them they should go and get rest as he would allow no visitors until the following day.

Max made Brennan go to dinner with them all. They all conversed around the table as they ate, all but Brennan. She picked at her food, mostly just moving it around on her plate. She listened as they talked, but couldn't bring herself to join in.

Angela couldn't take it anymore. "Bren, do you think Booth would want to see you this way, because I sure as hell don't and neither does anyone else who cares about you."

Brennan looked up startled.

"If he were here he would be the first person reading you the riot act. You are alive and well start acting like it." Angela scolded.

Brennan didn't know what to say, she just sat staring at her friend.

"She is right Dr B. Booth wouldn't want this. If it were reversed would you want him acting this way over you?" Hodgins joined his wife's cause.

"No he wouldn't. I wouldn't." Brennan had to agree. She couldn't explain it to them that she had no control over it. It wasn't a conscious choice.

"Dr Brennan, it is understandable that you are upset. I believe you are suffering from depression. I could look into some medications…" Sweets started.

"No. No medication." She interrupted.

"Well then at least talk with someone. It doesn't matter who it is." Sweets finished.

"I will try; just give me time this week." Once he was off the medication and he could wake up, then she would try. Until then he needed her to be there. She needed to be close to him.

"And if he doesn't wake up right away?" Angela asked.

"I have to be there for him."

"You have to be there for yourself, first." Angela added.

"I know, I will. Maybe I will work on my next novel. I have had some ideas. I just need to be there so he isn't alone. I have to be there when he wakes up."

Angela just stared at her.

"We can have lunch together. I am not avoiding anyone, I promise." She added.

"I am going to hold you to that and more." Angela agreed.

A week passed and the doctors began reducing the amount of drugs in Booth's system. They had decided to pull him out slowly to monitor his brain function. They explained if they didn't like the readings they may again increase the drugs for a longer period of time. They monitored the EEG constantly to ensure he was doing well.

On day 3 of the reduction, they introduced music as stimuli. They said all seemed to be going well and that within a couple of days, he should be awake.

By day 5 they had removed all the drugs. All they had to do now was wait for the drugs left in his system to metabolize.

Brennan sat by his side.

Booth's mother sat by his side, her image had been growing dimmer.

"It is almost time Seeley. You have rested well."

"So I will be waking up soon?"

"Yes. You need to concentrate on your body. You should be feeling it now. You will be week at first, but time will remedy that."

"Will I see you again?" He asked.

"I am always with you, my son. Even when you can't see or hear me I am there. It is time now."

His mother faded away. Everything went black. He could now hear the sounds of machines. He could feel her holding his hand.

He willed his eyes to open.

She rested her head on the bed beside him. She slipped in and out of sleep, waiting for him to wake up. Amidst a dream she didn't feel his grip tighten around her hand. She didn't see his eyelids struggle open

It wasn't until she felt a hand caress her hair that her mind left her dreams.

"Bones." He said he said weakly, just above a whisper.


	39. Chapter 39

Brennan lifted her head and looked into the eyes of the man she loved. Tears began streaming down her face. He called her Bones. She remembered how long ago she had hated the nickname he had given her. It had grown on her and she never realized how much she had missed it three past few months until that moment.

He offered her a weak smile and moved his hand to wipe away her tears. "What's all this for? He croaked.

"You know me." She managed to squeak out past her tears.

"Of course I know you, Bones." He said slightly confused.

She could hear the dryness in his voice and poured him some water which he took gratefully.

She couldn't take her eyes off of him. "I have something I want to tell you." She stated smiling the excitement evident on her face.

"What's that?" He asked.

"I am pregnant." She all but blurted.

She watch ad many emotions washed over his features. He smiled, but it looked forced, it didn't meet his eyes. She could swear that she saw sadness in his eyes.

"Congrats, Bones." He said. His head was so cloudy. He couldn't believe his ears.

She couldn't contain herself anymore and she leaned in and kissed him on his lips. She heard his heart monitor speed up and she pulled back and looked at him a look of shock upon his face.

Booth thought somehow he was trapped in a dream. First she tells him she is pregnant then she kisses him. He felt part of his heart break when the words left her mouth. He couldn't decipher what he felt when her lips met his.

"Bones? I… uh…" He watched as her expression changed. He saw her features harden and she pulled back, sitting straighter with her back rigid. He reacted wrongly, he wanted to kick himself.

"What's the last thing you remember?" she asked quietly.

Booth wasn't sure. His head felt heavy and was full of fog. He concentrated trying to bring something up. "I…I'm not really sure. I still feel kind of out of it." He answered.

He watched as tears filled her eyes, but she blinked them away. "I should tell everyone you're awake." She said abruptly and started to stand.

"Bones wait. Tell me what's going on. You can't say and do something like you just did and then walk away." He begged.

"I can't…" She started and the tears began to fall.

"What did I do?" He asked his voice catching with emotion.

"Nothing I shouldn't' have expected." She said with a hint of bitterness.

"What happened to me? Why am I here?" He asked finally maybe that would clue him in on her behavior. "Everything in my head is jumbled and I can't seem to grasp anything. What's going on ?"

"Maybe now isn't a good time." She tried.

"He tightened his grip on her hand, a little more then he should.

"You're hurting my hand Booth." He let go immediately, guilt filling him.

"I… I'm sorry." He said. "Please just tell me something."

"We had a case. You were injured." She said, hoping he wouldn't ask more, but knowing he would.

"When?"

"Early December." She answered.

"How long ago?"

"It's March now." She said quickly.

Booth's head began to swim. "So I have been here all that time?"

"No"

"Bones, Please."

"You had brain damage. Your memory was lost. We brought your home. At court you had a seizure and hit your head. You have been here almost a month now." She said throwing up all her walls to protect herself.

Booth took a deep breath, trying to register what she had said. He had so many questions, but he could tell by her demeanor that she wasn't going to answer them. At least not right now.

"You look tired. You have had quite an ordeal. You should rest, I will let everyone know your awake. Please don't tell anyone what I have told you. No one knows yet."

"Ok." He said. He still wanted to talk to her, but he could wait. She looked anxious to go and he wasn't going to stop her.

The doctor had been by to check on him. He had said it could take some time coming off the medication until Booth felt himself. He couldn't verify if he his memories would return, but was hopeful since information he couldn't remember before had reinstated itself.

Each of his friends stopped by and visited with Booth. He enjoyed their company, but he was wishing Bones would come back. They all avoided the topic of the past few months, and as much as he wanted to ask questions he could tell it was a sensitive subject for all. Visiting hours ended and he sat in his room alone. The doctors requested he stay in bed until he had completed some physical therapy.

He looked at his room phone and fought the urge to call her. He had kept her secret, but he couldn't figure out why she hadn't told anyone. She seemed so eager when she had told him. He couldn't help but wonder who the father was.

Brennan sat in her apartment. Her father had gone to bed hours before. Her body was tired, but she just couldn't fall asleep. She had gotten her hopes up. She knew she shouldn't. She knew opening herself up would cause pain. She had known that for years, had kept everyone at a safe distance.

She thought back to the conversation they had the night they made love. He had told her to tell him if he forgot they were together, but for all she knew what he remembered now could be from a time he didn't love her. She was so confused at what to do.

She would give it time. There was no real rush. She could hide the pregnancy from the others for a couple more months.

Booth woke with a start. He woke up as the rocks tumbled down on top of him. A nurse rushed into the room checking all the monitors.

"Sorry, just had a nightmare." He said sheepishly.

She smiled at him and left the room. His head felt a bit clearer when he woke. He looked to the window and saw that it was still dark. He calmed his breathing and attempted sleep once more. Eventually he drifted off and dreams took over his mind.

This dream was awkward; it seemed to skip around and was hard to follow. Then it took a turn, a turn that landed him and Bones in his bed together. Again he awoke with a start. His heart monitor sounding loudly. The nurse rushed in and looked at the man, slightly blushing.

"Another nightmare?" She smiled.

"Something like that." He mumbled.

He looked out the window and saw the sun shining through. He decided to stay awake and make progress at what was flitting through his mind. He grabbed pen and paper and began trying to make sense of what was there.

Brennan woke early the next morning. Her memories of their night together replayed through her dreams. She wanted to see Booth, though part of her told her not to go. This was the part of her trying to protect herself from more pain.

She couldn't do this anymore. She couldn't play cat and mouse. She couldn't go back to the wat things were.

She went about her daily routine trying to decide how to handle the situation.

She walked down the Hallway to Booth's room filled with determination. She opened the door only to find his bed empty. She felt the blood run cold through her veins.


	40. Chapter 40

Brennan didn't realize she hadn't taken a breath. She just stood and stared at the empty room. Booths things were still in the room but he was nowhere to be seen. She started feeling dizzy and had to take a step back to steady herself.

A nurse saw her standing there and walked over. "Are you looking for Mr Booth?"

"Uh… Yes." Brennan answered, her voice trembling.

"He is down in Physical Therapy." The nurse stated.

Brennan felt as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She asked the nurse where the Physical therapy was located and went to go see Booth.

We could see him through the glass doors. He appeared to be doing very well. She noticed a slight shakiness in his legs when he bore his full wait, but to an untrained eye could go completely unnoticed.

She couldn't help but smile at his strength. Nothing would keep that man down for long. She walked in and sat down in a chair to watch him. He was laughing and joking with the therapist. It seemed like such a long time since she had seen him do such things. Old Booth was back, she just wished he had the other Booth's memories as well.

She rested her hand on her abdomen. She thought of the little life growing inside her. She had always known her and Booth would make a beautiful child. Maybe she shouldn't inform him of the child's parentage. He didn't look very happy over the news. Again she argued with herself. She wanted to be with Booth and raise their child together; but maybe he would be happier in his current existence.

Booth could feel his weakness but refused to let it hold him back. The sooner he could stabilize himself the sooner he could return to life and get his life back. His mind drifted to Bones. His dream stuck firmly in his mind. He had pieced many things together after he woke up, but telling what was real and what was his active imagination was next to impossible. He needed to ask questions and hopefully get someone to answer.

He turned to walk in the opposite direction and saw her there smiling at him. God, he loved her smile. He loved everything about her. He smiled back and gave her a little wave. He couldn't help but feel sad. He had missed his chance. She was going t have someone's baby. She might be starting a life with whoever he was. Would she continue working out in the field? Was he going to lose his partner?

He lost his concentration with his thoughts and stumbled. He managed to catch himself on the bars before he hit the floor.

Brennan saw Booth start to fall and her heart skipped a beat. Her mind flashed to the courtroom. When he caught himself she finally managed to take a breath.

"Ok I think that's enough for today Mr Booth." The therapist said.

The therapist gave him a pair of crutches to help support his weight and he walked over to Brennan.

"Good Morning, Bones." He said with a smile.

"Good Morning. Would you like to go to the cafeteria for some coffee" She asked.

"I'd love to." He answered.

They made their way to the cafeteria. They each ordered their beverage and found a table in the corner.

"Can we talk?" Booth asked.

"We are talking." She answered simply.

"That's not what I meant. I just… I have some questions, but everyone seems to want to avoid the subject." He explained.

"Well what would you like to know?" She asked skeptically.

"I'm trying to piece some stuff together, and I don't know what is real and what isn't." He explained.

"I will try and assist with what I can." She declared.

"The case we were working on, was it in a cave?"

"Yes."

"So I was caught in a landslide?"

"Yes."

"You didn't get hurt."

"No, thanks to you. You saved me. You got hurt because of me."

He saw the sadness in her features as she spoke.

"Don't think like that, Bones. Don't ever think that way. I told you before there wasn't anything I wouldn't do for you. When I said I would die with you I meant it. I would do it all over again no matter the consequences. I… nevermind."

"What?" She asked.

"Nothing, really. It wasn't important." He said looking at the floor. He looked back up. "Anyway, I think I remember some other stuff, but I'm not sure what is actually happened and what is a dream. Was I with your Dad a lot?"

"Yes, you and he had grown rather close. He is who took care of you while we worked. You confided in him quite frequently. When you thought you needed representation, you requested him to be your spokesperson."

"Really? Wow." Booth had never imagined he and Max could have any sort of relationship. "Can I ask you a personal question?"

Brennan felt a bit of excitement rise inside her. Was he going to ask about their relationship? It would be wonderful if he remembered them together.

Booth tried to choose how to ask what he wanted. He wanted desperately to find out if what he had dreamed between them was real. He couldn't bring himself to believe it and didn't want to face the embarrassment. So he settled.

"Who is the father of your baby?" He asked with trepidation.

Brennan felt her excitement die. How should she answer? Should she blurt out that it was his?

"You don't remember him." She said.

"Will I get to meet him?"

"I don't think that is possible at the moment." She answered. It wasn't exactly a lie. She had considered Old Booth and New Booth as two different people with the memory lapses. She regretted her words after she spoke. He deserved the truth.

"So you're planning on raising the baby alone?" He would help her if she let him. He didn't care if the baby wasn't his, it was part of her. That's all that mattered.

"I had thought about it, I have no definite plans at the moment." She answered.

"You know, if he doesn't stay around, I… I would help you if you wanted me to that is." Booth offered.

She could hear the sincerity in his voice. She had thought he wouldn't want to disrupt his life and here he was offering to help her not even knowing who the baby belonged to.

"I… I don't know what to say, Booth."

"Say you'll think about it."

She looked into his eyes and they were so warm and loving, just as they had been their night together. She hated herself for her half truth. But it felt almost humiliating to have to tell someone that they love you.

"I will." She leaned across the table and kissed him on his cheek.

When he saw her leaning towards him his heart ached. He wanted to feel her lips on his, like he had when he first woke up. He had been too disoriented at the time to even attempt to respond.

"Will you tell me about what all happened?" He asked.

"Before, you told my dad you didn't want other people's perspectives on your past, that you would rather base your future on your own experiences" She stated trying to get away without having to explain things.

"Bones, I am asking. Please. I don't want to wait to see if it all comes back to me. I need to know. Everyone seems to act so awkward around me. Even you."

She could see the pain in his eyes. Maybe she was wrong to be keeping things from him.

"Booth you lost close to 15 years of your memory. In the beginning you would forget every day. Eventually with the help of your medication and time you healed and you could remember current activities. You were also having seizures, and the seizures made you forget again. Too much outside stimulation seemed to be the trigger. At the trial you had your worst seizure; you fell and hit your head. That's what brought you here. We are all afraid." She explained.

"But I was building a new life?"

"Yes. You started to. We were trying to help as much as we could."

"What life was I building?"

This was her chance her chance to come clean, but she couldn't bring herself to confess.

"That isn't important now. You have your original life back. That's what matters."

"I want to remember. I feel like there is something important I am missing."

"If you're meant to remember you will. You still have a lot of healing to do. I need to get back to the lab. Let me walk you to your room."

"Fine." He conceded.

They walked to his room. Brennan gave him a hug before leaving. Booth paced his room. His legs were tired and aching, but the thought of being in bed annoyed him. He walked to his phone and dialed a familiar number.

"Brennan residence." he heard over the line.

"Max, this is Booth. Do you have time to talk?"


	41. Chapter 41

**Author's Note – This one is short but sweet. I hope you enjoy.**

Max headed straight to the hospital per Booth's request. As he walked into the room, there was a heated exchange going on between Booth and his doctor.

"All your EE whatever tests have come back fine. Being here isn't doing me any good. I AM going home." Booth Yelled.

"Mr Booth you had brain surgery, you have just come out of a coma. You need to stay under our care to monitor your progress." The doctor argued.

"I am not a prisoner I can come and go as I please, and I am going. Try and stop me. I dare you." Booth was right in the doctor's face at this point.

The doctor threw up his hands in defeat and turned to leave the room. He saw Max standing there.

"Maybe you can talk some sense into him." He said while leaving.

"Don't even think about starting Max." Booth fumed.

"Do you really think it is a good idea to leave?" Max questioned.

"I want my life back Max." He said still trying to calm himself down.

"Well, I can see I can't change your mind, but I can remind you that you are still healing, and that this hasn't been your first trip to the hospital. If anything happens again, you may not come back from it." Max lectured.

"I get that, but I feel like something is missing and I am not going to find it here. Just get me out of here and help me Max." Booth pleaded.

"I'll do what I can, but if I see you in any kind of distress I am bringing you straight back here. Tempe is going to kill me as it is."

"She has other things on her mind. She won't care." Booth breathed sounding defeated.

"What the hell are you talking about? Did you two have a fight?" Max asked astonished.

"No. She hasn't been quite herself. It isn't just her, it is everyone. Everybody wants to talk, but no one will talk about the elephant in the room." Booth stated his frustration evident in his voice.

"I see, well, you know you requested that we don't interfere with your memories, that our own interpretations could distort the reality." Max explained.

"I get that, but that was when almost half my life had disappeared. I need to know all the events that transpired over the past few months. It's not just my memory… I don't know how to explain it. My gut tells me something isn't right. I just have to find out what it is." Booth explained.

"I will help, to an extent. I won't interfere, but I will help you get the facts. Maybe that will trigger something. Do know, I will hide behind you when Tempe finds out." Max said with a grin.

The two left the hospital. Max had made sure Dr Sweets destroyed the hypnosis tapes per Booth's request, but there were the tapes from court and the Christmas video. He only hoped he was doing the right thing, he remembered all too clearly the events in the court room. The doctors had removed a portion of his brain where they assumed the seizures had originated from, but they were both taking a tremendous chance.

Their first stop was Caroline's office. She had reservations, but with Booth's puppy dog eyes she conceded and gave him copies of all the recordings and photos of the crime scenes. They returned to Booth's apartment and began reviewing the materials.

Booth started with the crime scene photos. As he slowly filtered through them, things began to click. He could hear his and Bone's conversations as she took the photos. His brain flitted to the events at the hotel. He remembered wandering through the cave while bones worked.

He saw the photos of the entrance of the cave after it collapsed. In his mind, he relived the moments as the rocks crushed him. He remembered seeing her then his mother. He recalled opening his eyes to her, and their painful journey to the waterfall. His confession replayed in his mind. He watched as she climbed to freedom, he heard the words of her own love.

Booth couldn't believe his memories. Is this why she was treating him differently? No it couldn't be. His memory loss must have driven her to someone else's arms.

He watched the video of their rescue. His stomach turned as he saw himself rise from the hole in the ground and the resulting collapse. Later he swallowed bile as he saw her broken and bleeding body being recovered.

What was she thinking going back down there?

He watched the video of his home coming. He saw all the decorations. His heart warmed at all his friends had done. He got flashes of his memory in the apartment, it all moved so fast it was hard to follow. He watched the Christmas video at Angela and Hodgins's house.

He continued getting flashes. He got up and began pacing his apartment. Max looked on with concern. Booth's mind tried piecing together the information. He wandered to the kitchen and then to his bedroom. When his eyes fell upon his bed the visions of him and Bones together assaulted his mind. He felt his body reacting to what he saw. At that moment everything fell into place.

"Take me to the lab." He almost yelled as he made his way to the door.

Max quickly followed. "What's going on?" Max asked excitedly.

"I don't know if I got everything but, I think I remembered what is the most important." He answered.

They arrived at the lab and Booth scanned the area. He didn't see her and headed straight to her office. He didn't bother knocking and just went in. She looked up in shock.

"Booth. What…" She started.

He moved to her and pulled her close and pressed his lips to hers. At first her body was stiff and unprepared, but it didn't take long for her body to react. She melted into his arms. She responded to his kiss. Their passion ignited. When he pulled back both were breathing heavily. He looked into her eyes and saw the tears begin to form.

"You should have told me." He said the hurt evident in his voice.

She looked to the floor. "I wasn't sure how." She said.

He dropped to his knees, his face even with her abdomen. He pressed a gentle kiss to the place where his unborn child grew.

"I love you. I love you both." He said looking up into her eyes.


	42. Chapter 42

**Authors Note - I know it has been forever and I am sorry. Had some not so great things going on in the real world. How I was feeling I could have dropped an asteroid on Washington DC so I figured for all our sakes that I should step away. This is the last chapter and I hope you enjoy the conclusion tho this story. Thank you to all who have stuck with me. I am working on several ideas at the same time and hope to be posting some new stories soon. **

Max stood in the doorway of her office and heard what Booth had said. He grinned from ear to ear hearing that he was going to be a grandfather.

After seeing Booth and Max rushing through the lab, the team had assembled behind Max. What they witnessed before them brought joy to their hearts. How long they had waited for these two to finally get over themselves and get together. They had missed the part about the baby, but had walked up as he embraced her with his head on her abdomen. She ran her fingers gently through his hair, careful not to injure him.

"Dr Brennan, Why don't you go ahead and take the rest of the day off." Cam suggested. Normally Brennan would have protested explaining about how much work was to be done; but looking down into the face of the man she loved she knew, she would rather be somewhere private with him.

She grasped Booth's hand and helped him to his feet. "Let's go." She said with a smile.

A short while later they arrived at his apartment with Thai Takeout. They settled on his couch and ate their meal.

"Bones, please don't ever feel like you have to hide things from me." Booth said in a soft voice.

"I am sorry. Everything was just so confusing. I wasn't positive what Booth you were or if you would want me and the baby." She explained.

"I don't care what Booth I am. I will always love you. That part is instilled inside." He declared his eyes swimming of emotion.

"So where do we go from here?" She asked, her voice filled with uncertainty.

"That Bones will have to be up to you. You know me. You know what I believe in. You will have to search your own thoughts for the answer to that question." Booth said with sincerity.

"I think, I think I would like us to share a home." She almost whispered.

Booth glanced around his apartment. "Well I guess I should start packing. Your place is larger and will have more room for the three of us." He said with a smile.

Her face brightened with his words

**6 months later…**

Booth finished preparing their meal and brought Brennan her plate, while he sat down with his own. She looked t the distance the tv tray was from her and tears entered her eyes.

"What's wrong Baby?" He asked setting his own plate on the coffee table and grasping her hand.

"I am big as a house." She whimpered. "I don't even know how you can stand to look at me."

A soft smile spread across his features.

"You are carrying our child and I don't think I ever saw you look so beautiful." He said lovingly.

"Do you really mean it?" She sniffed.

He leaned close to her and placed a gentle kiss to her lips. "Yes I really mean it. I love you and I love our baby. I wouldn't change anything."

He got up and moved to their bedroom and returned a few moments later. He knelt beside her.

"I have wanted to do this for a while, waiting for the right moment." He pulled a small black box from his pocket and flipped it open. "I know your views on marriage, but I want you to have this."

Inside the box was an antiques styled engagement ring.

"If you were anyone else I would be asking for you to be my wife, but instead I want you to take this ring as a promise. A promise that I will always be by your side, that I will spend the rest of my life doing everything I can to make you happy. Will you accept my promise to you?"

Brennan felt her chest tighten. Tears built up in her eyes. He accepted her for who she was, denied his beliefs in order accommodate her own. He was always giving to her and very seldom asked for anything in return. It took her a moment to find her voice.

"I would be honored to accept your promise Booth. I would also be honored to be your wife, if that is what you would prefer."

Tears now filled his eyes. "You mean it Bones?"

"Yes."

He leaned in and kissed her. Through that kiss she could feel every ounce of love that he felt for her.

"You have just made me the happiest man on the planet." He said.

"In anthropology we learn to study past cultures and history. I look back at our history and realize how many times I could have lost you or you me. I realize that life is short in the scheme of things. I don't wish to waste any more time. You have brought me happiness I never thought I could have, made me feel things that I didn't know I could. I want to give everything I can to you. You have accommodated my beliefs and it is time that I accept yours."

He looked into her eyes and could see her sincerity. "I love you." He almost whispered.

"I love you too."

"So when would you like to set the date for?" He asked.

"I would like to have a private ceremony as soon as possible. I believe you would like our baby born in wedlock. Then maybe have a larger ceremony in the summer for all of our friends and family."

He smiled at her. He did want the baby born in marriage. She knew him so well.

"I will make all the arrangements tomorrow." He stated with pride.

They finished their dinner and retired to bed early. They made love that night and then fell asleep entwined in each other's arms. Booth couldn't remember ever feeling as happy as he did that night. He floated in dreams of the future when his mother appeared.

"I am leaving you now Seeley. You have everything you need now. We will see each other again one day."

"Thank you mom."

She faded away and his dreams were filled with Bones and their baby. She held a beautiful baby girl. Embroidered on her blanket was the name Abigail Christine Booth, booth of their mother's names.

The End


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